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TICKNOR & COMPANY, BOSTON. i 


THE CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 






THE 


Cruise of a Woman Hater 


BY 

G. DE MONTAUBAN^ 



i 


BOSTON 

TICKNOR AND COMPANY 
1887 




Copyright, 1887, 

By Ticknor and Company. 

All Rights Reserved. 


Electrotyped 

By C. J. Peters and Son, Boston. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER page 

1. An Unexpected Passenger 11 

11. Another Unexpected Passenger . . 25 

III. Mr. Jerves Will Not Be Imposed Upon, 39 
ly. Mr. Jerves’s Views on Matrimony . . 51 

Y. Mrs. Bates Apologizes 72 

yi. The Perils of the Sea 84 

yil. The Bruna 96 

yill. Trade Winds 118 

IX. Jack 137 

X. Round Cape Horn 146 

XI. Helpless 168 

XII. Honolulu 177 

XIII. Mr. Colorado’s Views, and How They 

Were Received 194 

Xiy. Mrs. Bates Tells All About It . . . 208 

Xy. News from Home 222 

XVI. Light 235 

XVII. A Proposal 243 

XVIII. Farewell to the Ajax ...... 255 

XIX. Redbank .* . 263 


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On one of my voyages from London to 
Australia in one of Green’s Line of pack- 
ets, we had on board a number of profes- 
sional people, some of whom told or read 
stories for the entertainment of their 
fellow-passengers. 

The American clergyman’s story was 
entitled, — 


THE 


CEUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 


CHAPTER I. 

AN UNEXPECTED PASSENGER. 

On the 16th November, 187-, the ship 
Ajax was lying in New York harbor ready 
for sea on a voyage from New York for 
Honolulu and Hong Kong. The Ajax was 
originally built for a steamer, but her en- 
gines, not proving satisfactory, had been 
taken out, and the hull sold to her present 
captain, by whom she was converted into a 
four-masted sailing ship. The captain, 
having sold her to an English firm, who 
stipulated that she should be delivered at 
Hong Kong, was on this 16th November 
ready to sail for that port, taking his wife 
11 


12 


CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 


and two children with him, intending to 
return via San Francisco. 

I knew Captain Bluson very well, for we 
had been chums together at college. A 
nice fellow he was then, and a nice fellow 
he is to this day. He retired from the sea 
some few years ago, and in the intervals of 
business amuses himself in summer among 
his strawberries and grape-vines, and in win- 
ter with solving mathematical puzzles that 
make my head swim. If his sight had not 
failed in his youth, the world might have 
known another astronomer; but for the 
good of his eyes his father, himself being a 
shipmaster, sent him to sea. 

Wishing his son to know seamanship and 
sea life from the very bottom, he sent him 
before the mast. The young seaman took 
kindly to the profession, going first as a 
green hand to Calcutta, and after a couple 
of years, and having from there made some 
shorter voyages, coming home second mate ; 
three years later he was master. 


AN UNEXPECTED PASSENGEB. 13 

At thirty-eight, having made several 
successful voyages, he had married my 
cousin Carrie, and was father of two as 
fine boys as could be found. Having no 
further need to go to sea, he proposed to 
make this last voyage as much a pleasure 
excursion as he could, and, having an un- 
usually fine ship, he invited his whole 
family to join him. His wife, having 
sailed with him before, was nothing loath, 
and the boys would have followed their 
father to the North Pole, if they once 
heard him say, Come, boys ; come 
along.” 

Early on the morning of the 16 th, the 
wife and children were on board, busying 
themselves in putting things to rights for 
the voyage, and waiting only the arrival of 
the captain to set sail. 

He meantime had gone to Boston on bus- 
iness connected with the ship. Returning 
on the Fall River steamer, he met an old 
school acquaintance, named Bernard Jerves. 


14 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

After talking over old times, and rehears- 
ing old scenes, and inquiring for old ac- 
quaintance, their talk ran to present pros- 
pects and intentions. 

Jerves was the only son of a rich father, 
and at school and college had not been one 
of the model boys. Without being vicious, 
he was averse to study and full of mischief. 
If there was a scrape of any kind about, he 
was sure to be in it ; and, though he was a 
good batsman and stroke oar of the college 
boat, and the best tenor in the glee club, 
and hail-fellow-well-met with more men 
than any other in the college, he barely 
took his degree, and was himself rather 
surprised that he got it at all. 

Not knowing just what to do with him, 
his father sent him to Colorado to look 
after some mining properties. This he did 
for a couple of years very well, but the 
mountain fever took hold of him, and he 
came back invalided. 

When he recovered, having little else to 


AN UNEXPECTED PASSENGER, 15 

do, he fell in love with a girl who had not 
a single quality but good looks to recom- 
mend her. These, it is true, she had liber- 
ally. To describe her character would 
require the pen of DeMusset or some other 
of the modern French writers, who know 
more about women than Methuselah or 
King Solomon. But Jerves had eyes only 
for her beauty, although her vanity and 
conceit and weak but perverse stupidity 
were evident enough to almost every one 
else. She liked Jerves’ s riches, and freely 
displayed the elegant presents he was as 
ready to make as she to accept. But it 
was not in his disposition to be in other 
respects a very ardent lover, and few except 
himself were much surprised when a week 
before the day fixed for the wedding she 
ran away with a middle-aged roue^ who 
knew how to take advantage of her weak- 
nesses. 

Whatever Jerves felt he kept to himself, 
and merely spent two years in Europe — 


16 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

the usual resort for such cases. During his 
wanderings there he fell in with a very 
charming and sympathetic young widow. So 
sympathetic was she, indeed, that it was 
not long before Jerves had made her the 
confidante of his whole story. So charming 
did he find her, and so much pleasure did 
he take in her society, that he asked her to 
marry him, and was accepted. There were 
some things about the widow that Jerves 
could not quite understand, but she was so 
fascinating, and he so blind by nature as 
regards women, that they troubled him 
but little. The wedding was to take place 
at a small out-of-the-way village in Ger- 
many, after which a year or more was to 
be spent in travel in Egypt. Suddenly, 
one morning, appeared a short, thick-set, 
heavily-bearded man, direct, as he said, 
from the sheep-farms of Australia, who 
claimed the sympathetic and fascinating 
soi-disante young widow as his wife, and 
demanded heavy damages from Jerves for 


^iV UNEXPECTED PASSENGER. 17 

having alienated her affections. There 
were a good many high words, and tears, 
and protestations, and some threats, but 
Jerves at last found his senses, and the 
sheep farmer and his wife were quite con- 
tent to accept second-class tickets for Aus- 
tralia in full liquidation. Whether they 
ever reached there or not Jerves never 
knew. He went to Egypt and up the Nile 
alone, but, returning to Cairo, had a fresh 
attack of fever, from which he recovered at 
length, but soured and somewhat prema- 
turely aged, and embittered against all 
women, and firmly resolved to have nothing 
whatever to do with them. In this condi- 
tion he returned home, and shortly after 
his father died. 

A rich and idle man, without ambition, 
he dlifted aimlessly about, living mostly 
alone, at hotels and clubs. He became a 
thorough gourmet, a first-class whist-player, 
and a sufficiently ignorant patron of the 
fine arts, in which latter capacity he was 


18 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

the delight and the victim of no small 
amount of unrecognized and unappreciated 
talent. He tried painting for a while, but, 
though he had a good eye for the pictur- 
esque, and could draw moderately well, he 
had no sense of color, and his pictures 
pleased only himself, and that not long. 
From painting he turned to photography, 
in which he was quite successful. Having 
provided himself with an expensive appa- 
ratus and no end of books and chemicals, 
he studied and practised the art until he 
really became quite proficient. He mostly 
disdained the use of dry plates — whicfe 
were only just then coming into use, and 
not as perfect as they now are — and the 
professional printer, as savoring of laziness, 
of which, when called by its right name, he 
had a great abhorrence. About this time 
a desire for change came over him, and, 
after long consideration, he resolved to 
seek out some comparatively unknown 
country, where he could combine travel and 


AN UNEXPECTED PASSENGEB. 19 

adventure with sketching and photography, 
and about which he would write a book 
that he would illustrate. So he packed up 
his paints, brushes, instruments, and chem- 
icals, provided himself with guns and fish- 
ing tackle, clothing, tents, boots, and blan- 
kets, and started off, bound for Alaska. 

When Captain Bluson met him on board 
the steamer, it was not very difficult to 
induce him to change his destination to 
China. The ship was good, the season 
favorable ; there was plenty of room ; they 
had been disappointed of another passenger, 
and except the captain’s wife and the 
stewardess there would be no women. In 
fact, there was no reason why he should 
not go, and, for a man with plenty of time 
on his hands, the long voyage was an at- 
traction. 

So the invitation was soon accepted, 
and, on arrival at New York, he hailed a 
boat and sent his numerous boxes and 
packages on board the Ajax. The captain 


20 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

assured him he would find plenty of sup- 
plies on board, but Jerves liked to live well 
when he could, and when, an hour after- 
wards, he met the captain at the tug that 
was to take them on hoard, he brought 
with him a dray-load of fresh and canned 
fruits and delicacies that gave the poor 
steward and stewardess no end of trouble. 

All was ready at last, and it was still 
early in the day when two powerful tugs 
took the Ajax in tow, and, with a fresh, 
chilly north-west wind blowing, she pro- 
ceeded down the harbor, her flags flying, 
sails ready to be loosed, and saluted by the 
whistles of numberless small crafts, whose 
masters recognized the Ajax and her well 
known commander. 

Having greeted the captain’s wife and 
charming children, who were delighted at 
having an unexpected passenger, Jerves 
retired to his cabin to change his shore 
clothing for some he thought more suitable 
for the sea, as well as more comfortable. 


AN UNEXPECTED PASSENGEB. 21 

and to make everything snug, as became an 
experienced traveller. The saloon of the 
Ajax was large and pleasant, and the state- 
rooms or cabins opening out of it were 
more numerous than is nowjisual when 
sailing ships are not generally expected to 
carry passengers. Jerves appropriated two 
of them, one for his personal use, and one 
for his photographic instruments, his paint- 
ing and sketching materials, his books and 
papers, and the desk on which he already 
designed to write out a detailed log and 
history of the voyage, illustrated in a man- 
ner and to an extent never before attempted 
at sea. 

He was well busied with these arrange- 
ments when the steward announced lunch 
ready and Sandy Hook in sight. He took 
a look out and found the captain on the 
deck, and the pilot at his side, watching 
the landmarks, and now and then giving 
a quiet order or a wave of the hand to the 
trusty and attentive man at the wheel. 


22 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Both were too busy with the care of the 
ship to give much attention to eating. The 
captain’s wife and children were seated 
under the lee of the house watching the 
receding spires of the city, and wondering 
when they should see them again, while 
the two tugs were puffing away and evi- 
dently doing their best to get the great 
Ajax over the bar before the tide should 
get too low. 

Jerves had watched New York and 
Brooklyn disappear many times before, 
and the wind was cold, so he went in and 
ate a hearty lunch alone, drank a half 
bottle of claret, and returned to his work. 
Presently he began to hear the creaking of 
ropes, and then the flapping of sails, and 
noticed that the puffing of the tugs had 
ceased. The steward came to know if he 
had any letters to send back by the pilot. 
He got on deck in time to see the pilot 
shake hands with the captain, and go over 
the side of the ship, and then the tugs 


AN UNEXPECTED PASSENGEE. 23 

whistled a parting salute, sheered off, and 
left the noble ship to herself. 

He stayed on deck only long enough to 
give a glance around and to consider how 
he should begin his journal in a manner 
appropriate to the starting of a long and 
perhaps an eventful voyage. He went 
below to find some paper to write his open- 
ing sentences on, but, not coming at any 
readily, he gave it up, and went on deck 
again. There did not seem to be any par- 
ticular occupation for him there, either. 
The captain was walking about, and paid 
no attention to him ; the ‘first mate was 
standing watching the man at the wheel 
and two others vociferously superintending 
getting sail on the ship. 

The captain’s wife and children had gone 
to try to make themselves more comforta- 
ble, and were not to be seen ; the steward 
had been too busy to make a fire in the 
saloon, and Jerves found himself very cold 
and alone. He walked up and down for a 


24 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

while, and finally went to his cabin, drew 
two blankets over himself, and went to 
sleep in a state of doubt whether the voy- 
age was going to be at all what he had 
anticipated. 


CHAPTER II. 


ANOTHER UNEXPECTED PASSENGER. 

The captain had seen the sails set, and 
was just going to look after the comfort of 
his family when he heard a number of 
sharp, impatient whistles, and discovered a 
small harbor tug astern of the ship. The 
whistles continuing, and there being no 
other vessel in sight, he knew they must be 
intended for him, so he ordered sail to be 
shortened, till the ship had only steerage 
way on her, hoisted a flag, and waited. 

The tug came up rapidly, and when 
alongside the captain recognized the ex- 
pected passenger who had disappointed 
them, his wife’s cousin and dearest friend, 
Mrs. Helen Bates, wishing and expecting 
to be taken on board. The swash of the 
waves and the noise of escaping steam 
25 


26 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

made conversation from the tug impossible, 
so the chair in which the captain’s wife 
had been hoisted on board was quickly 
swung out again, and Mrs. Bates as quickly 
brought on board the Ajax. The captain 
told her she was too late — they had not 
expected her — he had taken another pas- 
senger in her place — that passenger was 
a man, and a hater of women, and he had 
assured him that, except his own wife and 
the stewardess, there was not a woman 
on board. She could not be taken — it 
would make nothing but trouble if she were 
to go. It would never do — she must 
really go back to New York. If she had 
come a day sooner, they would have been 
delighted, but now it was quite impossible. 

By this time they had got into the 
saloon, and the captain’s wife had been 
summoned, and, in spite of all talking at 
once and nearly driving Mrs. Bates into a 
fainting fit, exhausted as she was by cold, 
hunger, and anxiety lest she should not 


ANOTlIETt UNEXPECTED PASSENGER. 27 

overtake the ship, she was at length made 
to understand the case, and with many 
tears and lamentations, and in spite of the 
protests of the captain’s wife, she prepared 
to go back. Going on deck again, how- 
ever, they found that her baggage had all 
been put on the ship, and that the tug was 
gone. Signals were set to call her back, 
but they were of no use. She had already 
ventured further to sea than was prudent 
for such a craft ; the wind was freshening, 
night would soon be coming on, she had 
once barely escaped being swamped by the 
rolling of the ship, and her master was too 
glad to get her head turned towards New 
York to heed any signals whatever. 

There was now no help for it. To Hong 
Kong, or to the Sandwich Islands, at least, 
Mrs. Bates must go, whether the captain 
liked it or not. Except on Jerves’s ac- 
count, he would like it very well. As for 
his wife, she liked it any way. So sail was 
ordered to be set again, and in a few min- 


28 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

utes the Ajax was making eight knots an 
hour on her course. 

The captain started for his cabin to con- 
sult his wife as to how he could explain 
the matter to Jerves, and to take — and, 
what is more, to follow, as he generally 
did — her advice as to how this awkward 
piece of business should be managed. But 
that good woman was before him, for, just 
as she and Mrs. Bates returned from the 
deck to the saloon, Jerves stepped out of 
his room. 

Introductions and explanations followed, 
which, if not agreeable, were the best that 
could be made, and Jerves submitted him- 
self to the inevitable with the outward 
grace that very seldom left him, but with 
an inward determination to make Mrs. 
Bates’s voyage as disagreeable as he could. 

At first sight, Mrs. Bates looked like any- 
thing but a pleasant addition to the com- 
pany. She was rather tall, and very thin, 
she was cold, she was faint with hunger 


ANOTHER UNEXPECTED PASSENGER. 29 

and fatigue, she was pale, her lips were 
white, her hair was loose, and appeared to 
be of a dirty brownish color, and her cloth- 
ing, wet with spray, hung on her in limp 
and draggled folds. Jerves noticed only 
one good point about her: her eyes were 
large and dark, though the lids were red 
and swollen, and still wet with tears. She 
looked ill and feeble, and this, instead of 
arousing his sympathy, only annoyed him. 
The idea of adding an invalid woman to 
’ their small party was not a pleasant one. 
Another thing that worried him was that 
his extra room must be hastily cleared out 
and made ready for Mrs. Bates’s occupation. 
There was still another room, but the beds 
had been taken down, and it was filled with 
small stores, of which his dray-load of del- 
icacies formed no small portion. And so 
his cameras, and chemicals, and books, and 
desk, and all his paraphernalia must be 
moved and stowed away on shelves and in 
lockers. He felt aggrieved and imposed 


30 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

upon^ and, though he knew the captain was 
not at fault, he showed his ill-nature so 
much as to make that gentleman wish it 
were allowable to dispose of disagreeable 
passengers by throwing them overboard. 
As it was not, he went on deck and smoked 
a pipe to quiet his nerves and allow his 
wrath to subside. 

The captain was in the habit * of having 
dinner late, and by the time it was an- 
nounced the steward had lighted lamps and 
a fire, and when Jerves came out of his 
room again he found the saloon warm and 
bright and a smoking hot dinner on a 
neatly laid table, adorned with fruits and 
flowers. The ladies appeared also, and, 
though Mrs. Bates said little and was not 
at ease, Jorves noticed that her voice was 
soft and not at all unpleasant. The meal 
psssed ofi fairly well. Jerves even pro- 
duced a bottle of champagne, and drank to 
the success of the voyage, but rather be- 
cause he had thought beforehand that it 


ANOTHER UNEXPECTED PASSENGER, 31 

would be a very nice and proper thing to 
do than from any present inclination. The 
captain took a single glass, and his wife a 
sip, but Mrs. Bates kept her glass upside 
down, and said, softly : “ I must beg you 
to excuse me, Mr. Jerves — I never take- 
wine.’’ 

After dinner the two men took their 
cigars on deck, where the captain told 
Jerves Mrs. Bates’s story. His wife had 
found time to tell him what he had not 
known before. 

Helen Masson was the daughter of a 
respectable ship-builder in a small eastern 
city. Her parents were not wealthy, but, 
as long as wooden ship-building flourished, 
were able to live in easy comfort, and to 
give their children the best education the 
local teachers could aflord. To Helen, in- 
deed, the youngest, the baby, the child of 
their old age, they had given more than 
this, and, although they had already begun 
to find themselves straitened for the means. 


32 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

they had sent her for two years to a cele- 
brated school. The death of her two 
brothers at Fredericksburg hastened that of 
her mother, and at nineteen she came home 
to take care of her father, now completely 
broken down and poor. She obtained a 
situation as teacher in one of the schools of 
the city, and until his death she supported 
them both out of her meagre salary. At 
twenty-one she married the son of a banker 
in a neighboring city, but the marriage 
was not a happy one. The husband, a gay, 
pleasure-loving fellow, fell into bad com- 
pany, drank, gambled, beat and abused her, 
and finally ran away to avoid arrest for 
plundering the bank of the money which 
he had lost and squandered in his pleas- 
ures. Too proud to accept help, and with- 
out other resources, she tried to support 
herself and baby by giving music lessons ; 
but spirits and health gave way under the 
strain. The child was never strong, and 
she had no means of giving it the care and 


ANOTHER UNEXPECTED PASSENGER. 33 

noiirisliment it needed. Fortunately, a 
relative in the country one day proposed to 
take it home with her to see what fresh 
air and country food might do for it, and 
from that day it grew and thrived. Six 
months later she learned of the death of 
her husband, killed in a disreputable house 
in the West, in a drunken brawl of his own 
provocation. 

Teaching music under such circum- 
stances was weary work, and, as the state 
of her health and spirits prevented her 
from giving lessons regularly, her pay was 
too small for her to procure for herself the 
food that she needed. Still, she kept on, 
until one morning she found herself un- 
able to rise from her bed. One of her 
little scholars, coming for a lesson, and 
finding her in this condition, ran home and 
told her mother, who went at once and re- 
moved her to her own house, where, with 
care and nourishing food and kindness, she 
began to recover her strength. 


34 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Just at this time- Captain Bluson’s wife, 
having decided to go with her husband to 
China, wrote to invite her to go with them. 
She expatiated on the advantages, sea air 
and good living, plenty of books and music, 
freedom from care, and no hard work. If 
she would only give the boys a few lessons, 
all her expenses would be paid, and she 
should have a small monthly salary. (There 
was something of the nature of a pious 
fraud about this salary, for the pretext of 
the lessons was only an excuse for its pay- 
ment. The fraud never troubled Mrs. 
Bluson’s conscience a bit, and I doubt 
whether the recording angel did not forget 
to score it against her.) 

The offer was tempting, but Mrs. Bates 
had not strength to accept it. Besides, she 
had no outfit. The voyage would be long, 
and through many changes of climate ; her 
scanty clothing was worn and insufficient, 
and she had no money to buy more. She 
was compelled to decline, but the effort 


another unexpected PASSENGEI^ 35 

cost her so much that she lost all she had 
gained, and took to her bed, never expect- 
ing and scarcely hoping to rise from it 
again. 

Here her kind friend came to her aid. 
With hopeful words and cheerful voice and 
offers of ready help she roused her up, and 
induced her to attempt the voyage. But 
the days had been going by, the Ajax was 
nearly ready, and there was not much time 
for preparation. She sent a letter accept- 
ing the invitation, but it was not re- 
ceived. (The captain afterwards found it 
in a package of the ship’s vouchers, where 
it had been left through the carelessness of 
an office-boy.) 

Her friend bought her few remaining ar- 
ticles of furniture at many times their 
value, and also bought materials and 
dresses, and added so much from her own 
ample stores that Mrs. Bates was surprised 
to find at starting for New York that her 
one trunk had grown to three, and when 


36 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

the baggageman put the checks into her 
hand she insisted it must be a mistake. 
But no, the trunks were there, bright and 
new, and all plainly marked with her own 
name. Her friend’s bluff but kind old hus- 
band, who suddenly had business in New 
York, where he had not been before for 
twenty years, assured her that he knew 
nothing about it. It might be some of 
Maria’s doings, and therefore must be all 
right. At any rate, she must keep the 
checks; there was no time for inquiries, 
the train was about to start; there were 
many friends to say good-bye, and he bustled 
about and went to buy newspapers, and she 
saw no more of him till the- train was 
going out of the station, when he appeared 
from the smoking car with a whole arm- 
ful of books, papers, and flowers that he 
deposited in her lap. Maria ” had refused 
to go to the station, and tearful farewells 
had been said at home ; but, just as the 
train moved off, Mrs. Bates saw her stand- 


ANOTHER UNEXPECTED PASSENGER. 37 

ing, flushed and red, on a baggage truck, 
waving her handkerchief and shouting 
good-byes at the top of her voice. 

Everybody remembers the fearful acci- 
dent at the Milford bridge. Several per- 
sons were killed, and many injured. Mrs. 
Bates saw but little of it, though enough to 
shake her weak nerves sadly; but her 
train was delayed, so that when she arrived 
in New York the Ajax had already sailed. 
Maria Watter son's husband was, however, 
a man of resources, and, hailing a tug-boat, 
he offered a liberal price if the ship could 
be overtaken and Mrs. Bates put on board. 
(The master earned his money, as we know, 
and Mr. Watterson walked up and down 
the dock till the tug came back, when he 
took the first train for home, leaving the 
business for which he was supposed to have 
gone to New York entirely neglected.) 

The story told, and the cigars finished, 
Jerves bade the captain good-night, and 
went to bed, if not good-natured, at least 


38 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

less surly than he had been in the after- 
noon. He was sorry for Mrs. Bates’s 
misfortunes, but wished she were on some 
other ship, and he grumbled at himself for 
having been persuaded to relinquish his 
trip to Alaska. He was sure she would 
interfere with all his comforts, would mo- 
nopolize all the nice, shady places when it 
was hot, and take the best place at the 
stove when it was cold. She had already 
deranged his writing desk, and she might 
be critical about his painting. To be sure, 
‘^The Invalid Passenger” would be a good 
subject for sketches, but he had not confi- 
dence enough in his pencil to be certain of 
representing those eyes. He might get 
photographs of her, if necessary, he could 
even take an instantaneous view without 
her knowledge. But he was sure she would 
be a nuisance, for all that. So, grumbling 
and discontented, he went to bed, and 
nothing troubled him till the breakfast-bell 
rang. 


CHAPTER III. 


MR. JERYES WILL NOT BE IMPOSED UPON. 

The next day was cold and rainy. The 
wind had hauled round to the eastward,” 
the second mate said. The captain was on 
deck in his rubber coat, and the men 
slouched about dripping. Neither of the 
ladies appeared, and an occasional wail 
from the children announced that they too 
were not happy. Jerves sat by the fire 
and smoked until .lunch, when the captain 
came in and quietly remarked that it was 
rather a nasty day, and that there was a 
steamer in sight, probably from the Medi- 
terranean for New York, Jerves specu- 
lated on the possibilities of getting on board 
her, and so back to New York, but, finding 
she would not pass within three or four 
miles, gave it up. He had not found smok- 
39 


40 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

ing and reading French novels entirely 
satisfactory, although they had formed a 
good part of his programme for recreation 
in rainy weather. The captain turned in 
for a nap, and Jerves, having tried to sleep 
and given it up, returned to his pipe and 
his novels, and the afternoon passed as 
drearily as the morning. The only sign of 
life was when the rotund stewardess passed 
to one or the other of the rooms with cups 
of tea or bowls of broth. The ladies had 
found no favor with Neptune, and were 
miserable, and so were the children. The 
dinner was not much more pleasant than 
the lunch, but the curried lobster gave 
Jerves an idea of possibilities of good cheer 
to come, and, after he had drank a cup of 
coffee, and smoked one of the captain’s 
choicest cigars, and beaten him at a game 
of chess, he felt much better, and thought 
that if Mrs. Bates would continue to be ill, 
there was a chance of his getting some sat- 
isfaction out of the voyage, after all. The 


JEEVES WILL NOT BE IMPOSED UPON. 41 

first mate came in, too, and Jerves found 
him a right jovial fellow, full of fun and 
anecdotes and of plans for amusement to 
be set on foot as soon as the ship should 
get into better weather.” 

Two more equally dreary days followed, 
and the morning of the third was not much 
better than its predecessors, though the air 
was softer. About noon the sun came out, 
the wind went round to the west, and the 
ship, on nearly an even keel, was making 
only four or five knots an hour. At lunch 
the boys came out, and at dinner the ladies 
were out also. Mrs. Bates was very pale, 
but her lips were brighter than when she 
came on board. She spoke but little, and 
soon retired. Jerves noticed only the luxu- 
riance of her hair. 

The next morning the sun rose bright 
and clear, the air "was soft and warm, 
and the gentle breeze from the westward 
continued. The captain said they were in 
the Gulf Stream. After breakfast, Jerves 


42 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

brought out his note-book, his pencils, and 
his sketch-book. It was time, he thought, 
to begin his work in earnest. He wrote a 
few minutes, and then began a sketch of a 
sailor seated on a block, splicing a rope. 
The splice was completed before the sketch 
was done, and he deferred finishing it to 
some other time, and decided to finish 
his novel before writing or drawing any 
more. Somehow, the time did not seem 
favorable for much effort. The steward 
produced from some mysterious quarter 
two of those deep, capacious, rattan easy- 
chairs, brought only on ships familiar with 
East Indian waters ; and presently the cap- 
tain escorted Mrs. Bates to one of them, 
tucked her up with rugs and blankets, 
chatted a few minutes, and left her. Jerves 
rose, and lifted his hat as she passed him, 
and asked how she was feeling. She 
acknowledged the courtesy with a bow, and 
replied, quietly, ‘^Much better, thank you.’’ 

After the captain left her, she sat look- 


JEBVES WILL NOT BE IMPOSED UPON. 43 

ing over the water a long time. Jerves 
wondered whether he ought to speak to her 
again, and was debating what he should 
say and how he should say it in a way 
that would not be impolite, and at the 
same time would not encourage her to 
think she was to presume on or expect 
any attention from him, when he was 
startled to hear her call him by name. He 
came near her, and she said in a low voice, 
sometimes firm, and sometimes tremulous : 
“Mr. Jerves, I quite understand that my 
presence on this ship is as unwelcome as 
it was unexpected to you. I wish once for 
all to say that I fully release you from any 
obligation you may feel to treat me with 
more than the ordinary politeness with 
which you would treat any passenger on 
board a ship, if there were a hundred pas- 
sengers instead of two. I shall endeavor 
not to interfere with your occupations or 
amusements, and I ask no consideration on 
account of my health or my sex. I hope 


44 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

not to annoy you, and I am certain you 
will not annoy me.’’ 

Now, this was not at all the kind of lan- 
guage Jerves had expected to hear. There 
was no apology for being on board, no ex- 
cuses, no call for his sympathy, no demand 
for his forbearance. Her manner, indeed, 
almost seemed a trifle haughty. All his 
carefully prepared sentences were blown to 
the winds, and he blundered out something 
about being sure they should not trouble 
each other, was conscious he had said badly 
not what he meant to say, and went away 
forward just as the captain’s boys and their 
mother came chasing each other out of the 
saloon. He was vexed with himself, vexed 
with Mrs. Bates, vexed with everybody, 
and he lighted his pipe, and pretended to 
go on with his sketching, while the ladies 
chatted pleasantly and the boys ran about 
the ship and played with the first mate. 
He had intended to leave Mrs. Bates alone, 
and here he was left alone himself. 


JEnVES WILL NOT BE IMPOSED UPON. 45 

When lunch was announced, the captain 
brought in Mrs. Bates, and was in high 
humor. He chatted about school days with 
Jerves, and brought a laugh to Mrs. Bates’ 
pale face with a story of some boyish 
frolic. After lunch he ran races with the 
boys, and showed them how to tie knots, 
and played cribbage with his wife, and 
Jerves looked on and was interested, while 
Mrs. Bates slept. Somehow, dinner seemed 
to come quickly, and passed off nicely, and 
the two men smoked their cigars on deck 
and walked and talked gayly in the moon- 
light. Jerves forgot his annoyances, and 
went to bed and to sleep in a quiet state of 
mind. 

The next day was Sunday. The wea- 
ther continued fine, but the breeze was 
stronger, and the Ajax was ploughing 
the water nobly. The captain’s wife had 
stipulated, as usual, for religious services 
on Sundays, and he had readily agreed. 
There was a discussion as to whether 


46 CRUISE OF A WOMAJV HATER. 

they should be held in the saloon or on 
deck, but the captain settled that, when 
the weather was suitable, they should be 
held on deck, as being an aid to the 
discipline and inspection of the men. 
Services on the captain’s ships, when his 
wife was on board, were no new thing, 
and the mates and the men who had sailed 
with him knew what to expect. At the 
appointed hour, all but those actually en- 
gaged in working the ship came aft in 
a body, some willingly, some grum- 
bling, but all washed and clean; they 
were headed by the second mate, 
who ranged them on each side of the 
capstan, which served the purpose of a 
desk. The captain came from the saloon 
with Mrs. Bates, followed by his wife and 
the boys. Jerves laid aside his pipe and 
novel, and joined them. There were 
books for all who wanted them. The 
captain read the service prepared for 
such .occasions, and his wife led the re- 


JEBVES WILL NOT BE IMPOSED UPON. 47 

sponses. When it came to the hymn, 
she started it alone, her husband and the 
second mate followed, and, by the time 
the third line was reached, Mrs. Bates’s 
voice was heard, low but clear and very 
sweet. The service proceeded. The first 
hymn had gone so well that the captain 
resolved not to shirk the second, as he 
sometimes did when there were only 
himself and wife to sing it. By this 
time Jerves had determined that, if an- 
other hymn was sung, Mrs. Bates should 
know that there was another singer on 
board besides herself, and when it was 
announced he joined in with his tenor. It 
was an old air, he had not sung since he 
was a child. His voice was good, and 
seemed to support Mrs. Bates’s, and she 
sang much more strongly than before. 

The service over, some of the men 
went forward, but others lingered about, 
and directly a little old seaman came to 
the captain, cap in hand, and, with many 


48 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

bows and apologies for presuming, asked 
if the lady would not sing them another 
song. The captain looked at Mrs. Bates, 
who, without a word, but with a kindly 
glance at the old man, rose and sang 
some sacred words set to the well known 
tune Robin Adair.’' This concluded, 
the captain said, That will do for to- 
day, men,” the second mate called out 
“All forward,” the men bowed and went 
away, Mrs. Bates lay down to rest from 
her fatigue, and Jerves lighted another 
pipe and finished his novel. 

At lunch, the service of the morning 
formed the subject of conversation, and 
the enthusiastic singing of the second 
mate, and the tidy and respectable ap- 
pearance of the old seaman, were espec- 
ially commented on. The afternoon 
passed pleasantly enough. The captain 
tried to explain how to take and work 
out lunar observations, and talked about 
Stanley’s explorations in Africa, and 


JERVES WILL NOT BE IMPOSED UPON. 49 

the Protective Tariff, and sea-bathing. 
This reminded Jerves that he had par- 
tially arranged with the mate to take a 
douche from the hose, forward, when the 
men were washing the decks in the morn- 
ing, instead of his usual dip in the tub. 
He had heard the captain say to Mrs. 
Bates that, as soon as she was strong 
enough to bear it, she must have a salt 
water bath every day. It was only polite 
to give an invalid the free use of the 
ship’s bathing-room, and it was possible 
he might like the douche quite as well. 

Dinner on Sundays was an hour earlier 
than on other days, and all were expected 
to dress for it ,when weather permitted. 
It was one of the captain’s ways of show- 
ing respect for the day. He, accordingly, 
on that day, decorated himself with the 
well preserved uniform coat that he had 
worn during the short period of his 
service as commander of a gunboat in 
the navy, and the ladies appeared in 


50 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

dresses sucli as they might have worn at 
a dinner-party on shore. Jerves was 
inclined to bring out a dress suit, but 
finally decided on a new blue one, in 
which he knew he looked well. The 
dinner was pleasant, almost festive. The 
Chinese cook had exerted himself more 
than usual, and the steward had even 
prepared a menu, that was an extraor- 
dinary bit of caligraphy. Coffee and 
cigars were served on deck, but, hearing 
the ladies and children at the piano, the 
gentlemen joined them. The boys sang 
school songs, and Mrs. Bates some simple 
melodies. Jerves, being asked to sing, 
gave Cujus animam, to Mrs. Bates’s ac- 
companiment, and sang it very well. 

Perhaps he sang it too well, for no one 
cared to sing after him, though Mrs. Bates 
complimented him highly. The boys want- 
ed her to sing again, but she pleaded fatigue, 
and Jerves refrained from asking her to sing 
a duet with him, as he had intended. 


CHAPTER IV. 


ME. JERYES’S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 

Monday dawned as pleasant as Sunday. 
Jerves rose early, went forward and took 
his douche, then had a cup of coffee, dressed 
leisurely, smoked a cigarette, and was 
ready for breakfast in excellent condition 
of body and mind. Afterwards, the car- 
penter marked out squares for shuffle-board, 
and produced the pins for ring-quoits. 
They played partners ; the captain and 
his boys against his wife and Jerves. Mrs. 
Bates tried the games, but found them too 
fatiguing for her strength so she sat by 
and applauded the boy’s shots. Jerves 
thought it a good time for photography, 
and brought out his camera, and was quite 
successful. He was afraid Mrs. Bates 
might object to being photographed, but 
51 


52 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

she did not mind it at all. She was even 
quite interested, and told him she had 
heard of an electric shutter by which views 
of clouds and waves in motion and such 
things could be taken. The captain prom- 
ised to help to make one, and also to con- 
trive a self-levelling apparatus for the 
camera, that he thought would be a good 
thing. Jerves made a dark closet of the 
bathing-room, and took prints from his 
negatives, and was very busy, so that din- 
ner came before he was aware of it. 

At bedtime the captain found the 
barometer had fallen considerably, and he 
took another turn on deck, to make sure 
that everything was snug, made the stew* 
ardess put another board on the side of 
Mrs. Bates’s bed, and provide it with extra 
cushions and pillows to keep her comforta- 
ble in case the ship should roll heavily, and 
warned Jerves to belay all his traps, for he 
thought they might have some wind before 
morning. Then he tucked his wife away 


JERVES^S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 53 

snugly, lashed the bedclothes over the boys 
so they should not be thrown out of their 
berth, gave orders to be called at midnight, 
and in five minutes was asleep. 

Next morning the ship was under single 
topsails. 

Jerves was up again early, and went for- 
ward for his douche, and got that and 
something to spare, for a wave that came 
over the bows just then gave him a drench- 
ing through everything he had on. He 
was glad Mrs. Bates was not by to see 
the figure he cut as he scrambled back 
along the bulwarks to his room. He 
wished he had the electric shutter ready so 
that he could take a good view of those 
stupendous waves. He thought she would 
be interested. 

Mrs. Bates had been in fear for several 
hours, but had not been able to get up, on 
account of the rolling and pitching. She 
rang her bell for the stewardess, but that 
personage was sleeping the sleep of those 


54 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

for whom the mere rolling of a good ship 
has no terrors. She was so wedged into 
her berth that she could scarcely move, 
and, while she was prevented from being 
rolled about and banged and bruised, she 
was uncomfortable, and the creaking of the 
timbers and the howling and shrieking of 
the wind were fearful to her. It was a 
great relief when the captain, who had 
been in to see if his wife and children were 
comfortable, and had found them chatting 
merrily, called out as he passed her door : 

How are you, Helen ? Are you all right ? 
She answered : I am here and alive, but 
is not the wind terrible ? ” Just a mod- 
erate gale — that is all.^^ Is there any 
danger ? Not the slightest.’' But it 
is awful to be shut in here when there is 
such dreadful commotion outside.” 

Shall I open your door ? ” 

Oh, yes, please. If I can hear some ' 
one speak sometimes, it will seem less like 
a tomb.” 


JEEVES’S VIEWS ON MATRUfONY. 55 

So he hooked her door open, said he 
would come again by and by, and went 
away whistling. She had some doubts 
whether he had not spoken so cheerfully 
just to quiet her fears, but presently she 
heard the steward setting the breakfast 
table, and humming Kobin Adair ’’ softly as 
he did so, and, feeling reassured, she dropped 
off to sleep, until wakened by hearing the cap- 
tain and Jerves at breakfast laughing over 
the account of the latter’s douche. Her 
door being open, she seemed to be almost 
one of the party, and could not help laugh- 
ing herself; hearing which, the captain 
hailed her and asked her to join them, and 
Jerves inquired if she would not have a cup 
of coffee. She declined the former invita- 
tion, but accepted the latter, and Jerves 
made her a fresh one with his patent 
coffee-pot, and sent the stewardess with it. 
He was just as much resolved as ever to 
do nothing to make her voyage pleasant ; 
but to send a cup of coffee to an invalid 


56 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

was only decent civility. It would be a 
shame not to do as much as that. Besides, 
he remembered her kindness in suggesting 
the electrical shutter. She thanked him 
courteously, and pronounced the coffee ex- 
cellent. 

Jerves went forward with the captain to 
direct the carpenter about arranging the 
self-levelling camera. Mrs. Bates kept her 
room ; the captain’s wife brought her sew- 
ing and sat within talking distance. The 
boys came, and little Bobby crawled into 
bed beside her, and Harry sat on the floor, 
and she told them stories and riddles. 
Bobby crowed and pretended to be crushed 
when the ship rolled one way, and threat- 
ened to crowd her out of bed when it rolled 
the other. Altogether, they had a merry 
time of it until the gentlemen came in to 
lunch, and then the gayety continued. 
Perhaps they were all the more gay for 
being a little separated but still within 
hearing. The cabins or state-rooms opened 


JERVES^S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 57 

into the dining-saloon, while the main 
saloon and captain’s rooms were farther 
aft. The dining-saloon led out to the main 
deck, but the saloon proper was more 
directly reached from the after part of the 
ship by a companionway, the saloon and 
cabins being built into a half poop raised a 
few steps from the main deck. The top 
of this poop or house was the deck in most 
common use by the passengers and the cap- 
tain. The saloons were well lighted and 
ventilated by skylights of stained glass, 
and the cabins by ports, which could al- 
ways be opened, except in extremely bad 
weather. 

Mrs. Bates proposed to get up to lunch 
if the captain would only stop the ship 
while she was dressing. She thought 
she should be able to stand either the 
rolling or pitching, but the corkscrew 
movement,” when the, ship rolled and 
pitched both together, was too much. 
She was ^^a little hungry but not very,” 


58 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

whereupon Jerves ransacked his stores 
for a can of boned turkey and some 
preserve Sj and made her another cup of 
coffee, quite forgetting to inquire whether 
politeness required it or not. She said 
she was glad there were no hones in the 
turkey, for she had too many bones 
already, and they all ached. 

The wind lulled a little during the 
afternoon, but blew harder than before 
during that night and the next morning, 
but about noon the sea was quieter again, 
and the second mate reckoned they had 
run out of it.’' All came out on deck in 
the afternoon, and Jerves exhibited and 
illustrated his camera, and in the evening 
they played whist, and Jerves and the 
captain’s wife got badly beaten by the 
other two. 

The following day was fine, the awn- 
ings were spread, and all busied them- 
selves as they liked. Mrs. Bates proposed 
to commence the children’s lessons, but 


JEEVES^ S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 59 

the captain’s wife insisted she was not 
strong enough yet, and pacified her with 
some easy crotchet-work, while she her- 
self- sewed. Jerves photographed the 
men at their work, the stewardess, and 
anything else that came handy. For a 
picturesque subject, the colored stewardess, 
in her flaming bandanna, was a good one. 
There was no need to wedge her into her 
berth in heavy weather. If she would 
only lie on her back, as it would seem 
she generally did, she would fit altogether 
too close to roll much. Her name was 
supposed to be Cleopatra, but the cap- 
tain had christened her ^^Baby,” and her 
husband, the steward, who was about four 
sizes smaller than herself, was, with equal 
appropriateness, called Samson.” These 
two having got into an excited discussion 
over their work, Jerves slyly turned the 
camera upon them at a critical moment, 
and took an instantaneous view that 
gave rise to infinite mirth. The captain 


/ 

60 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

meanwhile, worked at the self-levelling 
apparatus, and the boys pitched quoits, 
though little Bobby was not much higher 
than the pins themselves. 

The after-dinner coffee and cigars were 
served on deck again, and the captain 
and Jerves stretched themselves out in 
the large easy-chairs and talked. Having 
gone over the most of ^Hhe world, and 
all that therein is,” their talk turned, as 
not seldom happened, to women and 
matrimony, on which subjects, as may 
well be imagined, their views differed 
widely. The captain maintained that a 
man could never know what happiness 
was until he had a wife, and Jerves, as 
usual, claimed that women were the cause 
of all the trouble in the world, and that the 
less a man had to do with them, the better. 

According to his views, women were 
responsible for all the wars, pestilences, 
and famines that ever desolated humanity. 
All the troubles and all the crimes ever 


JEBVES^S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 61 

heard of could be traced, directly or in- 
directly, to some woman. 

^‘ And all the charities and all the 
good works in the world originate with 
some other woman.’’ 

If it were not for women, there 
would be no need of charities, and 
scarcely any for good works. If women 
do anything for charities, it is no more 
than they ought to do, and indeed no 
more than they should be compelled to 
do, so far as they can.” 

Don’t they make the best nurses in 
the world ? ” 

‘^No, not the best. If a man has a 
trifling ailment, he may trust to a female 
doctor, or a female nurse, but as soon as 
he is very sick he sends for a man.” 

I don’t know much about female 
doctors myself. I reckon there are good 
ones. Any way, there are thousands of 
things that women can do vastly better 
than men.” 


62 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

What, for instance ? If you want a 
good cook, you must have a man ? if you 
want your coat well made, it must be sewed 
by* a man ; a Chinaman will do up your 
shirt better than any laundress ; and your 
men keep your decks cleaner than any 
woman’s kitchen. Even women them- 
selves, if they want their dresses nicely fit- 
ted, must go to a tailor. I suppose women 
are a part of the scheme of creation, but it 
seems to me the universe might have gone 
on better under' some other arrangement.” 

“ Perhaps I’m inclined to be modest, but 
I don’t know that I could run the universe 
any better than the present authorities. 
Doubtless, Providence might have contrived 
a plan to get along without women, but, 
now that we have them, what would you 
do with them ? ” 

^^In respect to women, I don’t propose 
to take any share in running the universe, 
myself. On general principles, I think the 
Chinese plan is the best one.” 


JERVES^S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 63 

Drown the surplus ? 

‘^Yes.’’ 

It is not a very humane one/' 

Why not, if it reduces the aggregate of 
human suffering ? " 

If all the suffering comes through 
women — doubtless, the more you drown, 
the better. I shouldn’t like to have 'a hand 
in it, though. And I don’t believe in it.” 

Then adopt the old plan of shutting 
them all up and educating them alike — 
and not much — dressing them alike, and not 
allowing them to have any rank or hold 
any property. If a man thought he would 
like to have a wife, let the proper authori- 
ties select one of suitable temper and dispo- 
sition, and give her to him.” 

What if he didn’t like her ? ” 

No matter. He would be just as liable 
to like one as another.” 

What if she didn’t like him, and didn’t 
behave herself ? ” 

Then he should administer personal 


64 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

chastisement till she did. I met a man in 
Sweden once who formulated the whole 
plan with great detail. He would have 
one great establishment to which all female 
children should be sent at four or five years 
old, and kept until some man wanted a 
wife, and then one should be taken out for 
him.” ' 

I think that is a project that has been 
proposed a great many times.” 

Which only shows how much need there 
is for something of the sort.” 

I don’t doubt it was a very fine scheme, 
Jerves, but I don’t think it would work. 
Your friend would have to reorganize 
human nature itself, before he could reor- 
ganize society on his plan.” 

. So I told him, but he was not the less 
enthusiastic about it, and thought he should 
eventually get some community to adopt 
it.” 

should want to move out of that 
community at once if I lived in it.” 


JERVES^S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 65 

At this stage the captain’s wife, who had 
for some time thought the gentlemen had 
smoked and talked long enough, and who 
was anxious to have her revenge at the 
whist table, started to interrupt them — 
taking Mrs. Bates with her. They reached 
the door, but, as the conversation still went 
on, they stopped and listened, standing 
with their arms about each other’s waists, 
while the captain and Jerves, whose backs 
were turned to them, went on. 

No,” said the captain; ^Hhere are a 
good many quite irresistible influences 
that your friend did not take into his 
account.” 

I presume there are,” said Jerves. 

To start with, I don’t think I should 
like to have somebody else select a wife for 
me. I think I could do it decidedly better 
myself.” 

His wife gave Mrs. Bates a squeeze 
that nearly took her breath away. 

“ You are one of the lucky ones. There 


66 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

are not many wlio are so fortunate, or 
who make so good a selection as you/’ 

That is so. All the authorities of all 
the establishments that ever existed couldn’t 
have chosen me a better wife — though I 
say it. » I hope I am sufficiently thankful.” 

Mrs. Bates felt her friend tremble and 
try to get away, but she held on and drew 
her more closely to herself, put a hand 
over her mouth, and kissed her softly, while 
Jerves continued. 

Truly, captain, you have abundant 
reason, but you must confess there are very 
few so lucky. Your wife is an exception. 
There may be a good many more like her, 
but I don’t think it.” 

Thank you. I like to have people think 
well of her, but I didn’t know you had so 
good an opinion of her as that. It is 
lucky she don’t hear you.” 

Wouldn’t it conduce to family disci- 
pline ? Never mind ; I won’t say it to her 
face.” 


JERVES^S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 67 

Please don’t/’ laughed the captain. 

If he had not been more attentive to 
the striking of eight bells and the cry of 
All’s well” than to anything else just 
then, he might have heard a good deal of 
smothered laughter and something of a 
scrimmage behind him. But Jerves went 
on: You must admit that, with their whims, 
caprices, vanity, extravagance, faithlessness, 
dishonesty, and all that, the great majority of 
women make most wretched wives. I don’t 
understand how men get along with them 
as well as they do. For my part, I don’t 
want anything to do with them. I will 
treat them respectfully and politely when 
they come in my way, but that is all.” 

Don’t be too certain. \ In spite of your 
unfortunate experience, you may change 
your mind and marry one of them yet. 
Because one woman is a fool and another 
an adventuress, it don’t prove the whole 
sex to be such. There are lots of good 
women in the world, and it is quite on the 


68 


CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 


cards that you may hit on as great a treas- 
ure as you make out my wife to be ; and^ if 
you do, I hope you’ll marry her.” 

^^No, sir, thank you, not I — not if the 
Queen of Sheba were to come on her bended 
knees and ask me. I settled that point 
some time ago. I don’t blame women for 
marrying when they can. They are brought 
up to work for it and scheme for it, and 
they generally have something to gain by 
it, but nine men out of every ten make 
nothing but absolute fools of themselves by 
marrying. You didn’t, as it happened.” 

Mrs. Bates could stand this kind of talk 
no longer. There were tears in her eyes, 
but her voice was firm as she broke in: 
^^And ninety-nine women out of every 
hundred make themselves ten thousand 
times fools by marrying. Why girls should 
join themselves for life to creatures so 
utterly brutal, selfish, and treacherous as 
the great majority of men, almost passes 
comprehension. They promise to love, and 


JEEVES^ S VIEWS ON MATEIMONY. 69 

find nothing that it is possible to love ; to 
honor, and find nothing they can honor; 
to obey, and find obedience an abomination. 
What wonder is it that women should be 
false when they find themselves so cheated 

Oh, Helen, you are too harsh ; you 
don’t mean all that” — and the captain’s 
wife drew the lofty head down to her shoul- 
der, and gently patted the wet cheek. 

Perhaps I am harsh, but I have good 
reason. If girls would be content to be 
girls, and never aspire to be women, they 
would be far happier.” 

Maybe they would,” said the captain ; 
in fact, I am sure they would after a while : 
for, if we could keep the men and the women 
apart for a couple of hundred years or so, 
the millennium would come. But we can’t 
do it, so now let’s go and have some whist. 
Jerves and I have talked nonsense long 
enough.” 

I can tell you I don’t want any millen- 
nium on your terms. I would rather have 


70 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

my good man and let the world remain as 
it is,” said his wife, as she drew a strong 
arm about her waist and took a brown hand 
in hers and kissed it. 

And so they went into the saloon, but 
there was no whist. Mrs. Bates was fatigued 
and excited, and Jerves thought he should 
feel the better for another pipe. Both were 
conscious that they had said more than they 
intended, and more than they believed. She 
lay awake awhile trying to justify herself 
for using so strong language, and recalling 
the sorrowful experiences of her own 
married life. They were sad enough, cer- 
tainly ; but then she thought of the captain 
and his wife, and of her kind friend Maria 
Watterson and her husband, and of her 
own father and mother, and of many 
others ; and she failed to find so many 
instances of entire unhappiness in married 
life as even she had thought. Some couples 
she could think of who did not seem well 
suited to each other; but — perhaps they 


JEEVES^ S VIEWS ON MATRIMONY. 71 

were satisfied — she did not know. At last 
she fell asleep. 

Jerves’s reflections did not trouble him 
so long. He thought he had spoken well, 
and, if he had abused women more than 
they deserved, it did not much matter, 
though he was sorry he had hurt Mrs. 
Bates’s feelings. What he said was near 
enough to the truth, any way. Indeed, he 
remembered Mrs. Bates’s words, and the 
fire and spirit with which she had spoken 
them, much more clearly than he did his 


own. 


CHAPTER V. 


MRS. BATES APOLOGIZES. 

When he returned from his douche the 
next morning, he noticed Mrs. Bates sitting 
on the top of the saloon. It was too early 
for her, he thought ; she should not be there, 
the dampness was not gone out of the air, 
and the decks were wet. It was not pru- 
dent for an invalid. He dressed quickly 
and went out with a cup of co:ffee to her. 
She declined co:ffee so early in the morning, 
so he brought her a bowl of beef-tea which 
she drank with a relish. This again was 
only reasonable politeness. He got a rug 
and made her put it around her and under 
her feet, and they watched the sunrise. 
Suddenly she said, ^^Mr. Jerves, I am afraid 
I spoke too strongly last night. Men are 
72 


MRS. BATES APOLOGIZES. 73 

not all so bad as I represented them. I 
know many — yes, very many, husbands 
who are good and kind and faithful, and 
their wives are happy women. I ask your 
pardon. Your abuse of women angered 
and excited me. All do not deserve it. 
There may be some who do. You were 
cruel and unreasonable, but, all the same, 
I was unjust also. My own married life 
was unhappy — perhaps you know it ; but 
all women are not so unfortunate as I. But 
you spoke shamefully of us. You would 
condemn your own mother. You were not 
gentlemanly ; you were not even manly.” 

She had commenced very quietly, and 
Jerves thought she was going to be quite 
gracious and humble, and he was glad he 
had not withdrawn anything he had said. 
But, when she accused him of being cruel 
and unmanly, he was angry, for he could 
not help admitting to himself she was 
right. However, he was not going to be 
put down. 


74 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

I spoke of women as I know them — 
that is, most of them. Of course, all are not 
like that. I see a great many who, I 
think, are not at all like it.'' That was 
taking back a little too much ; so he added : 

But I have seen very many who seemed 
to me just like it — quite as bad as I rep- 
resented them." 

He felt rather ashamed of himself, but 
could not make up his mind to be so fairly 
open and generous as she, and ask to be 
forgiven for his outrageous expressions. 

‘^1 will confess my language was too 
sweeping. The current of my talk carried 
me too far. You could not think I would 
include such women as the captain's wife 
and yourself in any such remarks." 

Please do not mention me, Mr. Jerves ; 
you do not know whether I ought to be in- 
cluded or not," interposed Mrs. Bates. She 
ought not to have added these last words, 
for they gave him a chance to say that 
until he knew her more he certainly should 


MRS, BATES APOLOGIZES. 75 

not include her in his condemnation of the 
sex. She laughed quite heartily, and said : 

Well, if I withdraw my extravagant and 
unfair language, and you exclude from 
condemnation all who do not deserve it, I 
don’t see but justice will be done all round, 
and the world go on as before.” 

He was tempted to say that he con- 
demned all whom he did not know or 
believe to deserve to be excluded, but, on 
the whole, thought he would not be quite 
so ungracious, and so they went to break- 
fast, she as calm and stately as ever, and 
he still bitter and rather angrily pulling his 
moustache. 

At breakfast the captain chaffed Jerves 
about his friend’s project, and made him 
explain it to the ladies, who had not heard 
that part of the conversation. Jerves ex- 
plained it in all its details. 

Why, the man was simply a lunatic — 
that is all,” said the captain’s wife. 

Now, Jerves,” said the captain, I be- 


76 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

lieve the whole thing is an invention of 
your own, got up to give us something to 
talk about.” 

Not at all. The author of the scheme 
was a philosopher, and something of a 
statesman, a scholar, and what is more, 
captain, a mathematician — which shows 
that / had nothing to do with it.” 

“No wonder, then, he got mixed up. 
He had probably studied so much he had 
no sense left.” 

“ He was only a bit moon-struck,” coolly 
remarked Mrs. Bates ; “ probably some 
girl had jilted him.” 

“ And well he deserved it — the silly old 
thing,” put in the captain’s wife. 

“He should have been given the first 
wife out of the establishment,'' remarked 
the captain. 

“ And the young girls should have had 
the selection of her,” added Mrs. Bates. 

“ For a suitable match they would have 
had to give him an idiot; and, as idiots are 


MRS. BATES APOLOGIZES. 77 

not allowed to marry, I am afraid the poor 
man would have had to remain single to 
the end of his days,” said the captain. 

And so it appeared that the project of 
the man they persisted in designating as 
Jerves’s friend ” found no favor in that 
company, though this was not by any 
means the last Jerves heard of the scheme. 
Then they dispersed to their various avoca- 
tions, the captain and Mrs. Bates to arrang- 
ing the battery for the electric shutter, his 
wife to her sewing, Harry to a story-book, 
and little Bobby superintending the whole. 

Jerves made an excellent sketch of the 
old sailor who had asked for another song, 
and Mrs. Bates admired it much, and 
asked permission to make a copy in Tvater- 
color. Jerves consented, of course, wonder- 
ing whether she could paint better than he 
could. She said she had a box of colors 
somewhere, if she could only find it ; but 
Jerves insisted on bringing out his complete 
outfit of colors, and she soon made a very ef- 


78 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

fective picture of it. Then she made a couple 
of sketches of sea and clouds. She could 
paint the skies and water and atmospheric 
effects better than he, while he excelled in 
figures and detailed drawings. She pro- 
posed to make a sketch or two for herself 
every day, so that the series should form a 
history of the voyage and illustrate her 
diary. This prompted him to mention his 
original plan of an illustrated log-book, and 
she quite approved of it. He confessed he 
had done nothing about it yet, and she 
recommended him to begin at once, and 
even offered to supply notes from her own 
journal, which she had kept to read to her 
little scholars when she should go back 
to teaching again. At noon the captain 
allowed him to take an observation, and he 
worked it up correctly, and made out the 
ship’s run within five miles of the mate’s, 
which pleased him greatly. In the after- 
noon he took Mrs. Bates’s journal and 
wrote up several pages, and inserted some 


MRS. BATES APOLOGIZES. 79 

sketches and photographs, and made quite 
a good beginning. Mrs. Bates ignored 
their little dispute, and her manner was 
quite what it had been. They were neither 
more nor less intimate than they had been 
three days before. It is likely he would 
almost have forgotten it, if the captain had 
not stirred the whole affair up by more of 
his chaffing as Jerves and Mrs. Bates were 
at work with their paints. 

Just look at him now, Carrie. No 
one would suppose such a pleasant, ami- 
able, harmless-looking young man as 
that could be so savage as to abuse 
women as he did last night.” 

And, Mrs. Bluson, would any one 
imaging that an experienced mariner and 
man of family, who had received such a 
rating as his whole sex got, would ever 
wish to refer to the incident again?” 
retorted Jerves. 

Now, captain,” said Mrs. Bates, ^^will 
you please let that matter drop? Mr. 


80 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Jerves and I mutually made amendes 
honorohles this morning, before breakfast, 
and there is nothing more to be said.” 

^‘Did you both withdraw all your un- 
handsome remarks ? ” 

Not quite, but we agreed to with- 
draw all that was not true, and that 
all that was true should remain as true 
as ever it was.” 

^Yery kind and generous of you, I 
am sure. Nobody could expect any- 
thing more than that — from a woman. 
But you owe me an apology person- 
ally.” 

Do I ? Then I’ll make it now while 
I am in the mood. If I said anything 
about Captain Bluson that was not true, 
I hereby confess that it was entirely false 
and erroneous.” 

Thank you. I don’t think I ever 
heard a handsomer apology. It is quite 
sufficient.” 

^^Now I think, to make everything 


MRS. BATES APOLOGIZES. 81 

square, Mr. Jerves owes me an apology,” 
said the captain’s wife. 

^^Well, no, Carrie,” answered Mrs. 
Bates. On the whole, I don’t think he 
does. If I were you, I don’t think I 
would ask one.” 

Jerves never could tell what it was 
amused those two ladies so much, but 
he said he , would not be outdone by Mrs. 
Bates, and, if he had said anything about 
Mrs. Bluson that was untrue, her husband 
should apologize. 

So Jerves’s good-humor was* quite 
restored, and the day, that had begun 
with such signs of a storm, proved the 
pleasantest he had had. After dinner, 
when the crew were dancing and sing- 
ing and skylarking, he went forward and 
sang and told anecdotes, and made him- 
self a prime favorite. He had a bout 
with the boxing gloves with the third 
mate, and, finding he could more than 
hold his own, he allowed himself to be 


82 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

slightly beaten for the sake of that" 
officer’s reputation with the crew. The 
captain thanked him for his considera- 
tion. A little music in the saloon closed 
the day. 

Saturday was pleasant again, and 
everybody was occupied. Mrs. Bates 
made two more sketches, and afterwards 
translated a little German story to amuse 
the children. She was. never idle. Then 
Sunday came again, and there were 
services and singing as before, and a 
good deal more singing after the service. 

They had now been out nearly two 
weeks, and already the captain’s wife 
noticed the improvement in her friend’s 
health, and rejoiced at it. The color had 
begun to come back to her cheeks, and 
she could walk about the decks freely; 
her voice was stronger, her eyes were 
brighter, and the signs of pain and weak- 
ness about her mouth were lessening. 
Harry and Bobby simply adored her, and 


MRS. BATES APOLOGIZES. 83 

were her devoted servants and watch- 
dogs. Next to a romp with their father, 
they enjoyed sitting by her side while 
she read them stories and sang childish 
songs. 


CHAPTER VI. 


THE PERILS OF THE SEA. 

Monday morning bad weather came 
on, and soon became a gale that lasted 
three days. On the second, the ship was 
hove to. Nothing could be done out-of- 
doors. A few moments of sunlight gave 
Jerves a chance to photograph the sea, 
when the wind tore off the crests of the 
waves, and seemed to flatten them down ; 
but most of the time the rain poured 
heavily. It was a time of discomfort, 
but borne with patience. They had be- 
come accustomed to the howling of the 
wind, and the creaking of timbers, and 
were not alarmed. Thursday the wind 
died away to a dead calm. The rolling 
of the ship on the swell was more wear- 
ing and tedious than the gale, and all 
84 


THE PERILS OF THE SEA. 85 

were glad when a light breeze sprang 
up. At sunset all were on deck watch- 
ing the clouds, when one of the lookout 
men reported something in sight. As 
they came nearer, it proved to be a 
wreck with the stump of one mast only 
standing. It soon became too dark to 
distinguish more. Orders were given to 
' stand by and wait for daylight, and 
lights were burned occasionally to let 
those on board, if any there were, know 
that they were not abandoned. The 
Ajaxs passengers slept but little, and 
not a soul on board ol her but was on 
* deck with the first glimmer of daylight. 
As soon as the wreck could be sighted, 
sail was made for it, but the air was 
light and ahead. There’s some life 
on board, Mr. Rollins; there’s a distress 
signal flying.” 

Yes, sir,” replied the first mate, but 
I reckon not much. The wreckage is 
alongside, you see, sir. They would have 


CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 


cut it away if they could. It’s a wonder 
it hasn’t punched a hole in her before 
this.” 

I see one person on board,” ex- 
claimed the captain. And presently the 
mate added, ‘^1 think it’s a woman, sir, 
and I don’t see any others.” 

Another half-hour of silent watching 
and no further sign of life on the wreck. 
The cook was ordered to give the men 
their breakfasts early, and the passengers 
hurriedly ate whatever they could get hold 
of first. The captain called Mr. Rollins to 
the deck and quietly gave his directions. 
There was no excitement except among 
the passengers. 

^^Is the quarter boat all ready, Mr. 
Bows?” 

All ready, sir.” 

Swing her out, and tell off your men.” 

Ay, ay, sir,” and the boatswain’s 
whistle was heard, and the boat quickly 
hung at the davits. Another whistle, and 


THE PERILS OF THE SEA. 87 

the boat’s crew was on board, with Rollins 
in the stern. Jerves exchanged a hurried 
word with him, and both looked at the 
captain, who answered the look with a 
nod, and Jerves took a place beside the 
mate. The ship came slowly up into the 
wind, the orders Lower away” and Let 
fall” were soon given, and the boat was 
away to the wreck. 

It was not a very long pull ; and in half 
an hour the boat was within a quarter of 
a mile of the wreck, and to leeward of it. 
When they came quite near, the mate be- 
thought himself and suddenly steered away 
to make a long sweep round to windward, 
muttering to himself as he did so, Looks 
to me like a case of Yellow Jack,” and he 
set his teeth together, and his eyebrows 
came down, and the good-natured face 
grew hard. The change of direction sur- 
prised the boat’s crew, and they looked 
about, and their strokes were irregular till 
a quick, sharp What are you doing, there ? 


88 


CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 


Steady, all!’’ recalled them to their duty. 
Coming nearer, they saw no one on board 
but the woman, who swung her arms about, 
and tried to hail them but could not. They 
found the wreck to be that of a German 
bark, iflain and mizzen masts gone over- 
board, and floating, with sails all set, along- 
side. You had better not come aboard,’ ' 
said Rollins ; very likely, there’s yellow 
fever on board.” Go ahead,” was all 
Jerves’s answer. 

It was difflcult to get on board for the 
wreckage, but running under the bowsprit 
they found a rope hanging, by which Jerves 
and the mate hauled themselves up, hand 
over hand. Telling the crew to back off 
two ship’s-lengths and wait, they descended 
to the deck. 

The sight on deck was a fearful one. 
Three dead bodies were lying about, and 
in the forecastle they found two men alive, 
of whom one was delirious. The decks were 
encumbered with fallen spars and rigging. 


THE PERILS OF THE SEA. 89 

the galley was overthrown, and with water- 
butts and all the movable deck-hamper 
lying about in what seemed inextricable 
confusion. Going aft, they met the cap- 
tain’s wife trying to drag the almost life- 
less body of her husband out of the cabin. 
Seeing a boat coming, the poor woman had 
thought they were to be taken off the 
wreck at once. Jerves could speak some 
German, but could make but little of her 
incoherent talk. He managed to understand, 
however, that the bark was from the West 
Indies, with a cargo of sugar ; that, when 
two days out, one of the men was taken 
sick, and, two days after, two more. These 
all died, and their bodies were thrown over- 
board. The next day, the first mate was 
taken sick, and died in a few hours, and 
the same night the second mate and four 
others had stolen a boat and run away. 
After that, the captain fell sick, and for 
three days his wife and the two men left 
alive had worked the ship, trying to steer 


90 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

north as well as they could, and hoping to 
fall in with some vessel. The two men 
had been sick, but were recovering until 
hurt by falling spars in the gale of the day 
before, which had dismasted the bark. 

The mate of the Ajax had not waited 
to hear all this, but; as soon as he learned 
enough of the facts, called the boat’s crew 
within talking distance, and gave them 
orders to report what he had learned to 
the captain, and ask for further instructions. 
He tried the pumps, and, finding no water, 
told them to report that the bark appeared 
to be tight. The woman cried, and begged 
piteously that she and her husband might 
be taken off. Mr. Rollins would neither 
take her, nor go himself, nor let Jerves go, 
nor indeed did Jerves propose going. Both 
knew perfectly well the danger they were 
in, but had no intention of carrying yellow 
fever from the infected vessel to the Ajax. 

The boat gone, both set to work and 
made the captain of the bark as comforta- 


THE PEEILS OF THE SEA, 91 

ble as they could, and after him the two 
men, of whom one had an arm and two 
ribs broken, and the other a bruise on the 
head. Though slightly delirious, he 
appeared to be recovering from the fever, 
and not badly hurt. This done, they cut 
away the fallen masts, which momentarily 
threatened to stave in the bark’s side. 
They worked and talked together like 
brave men who had taken their lives in 
their hands. The captain was quiet; 
whether alive or dead, they did not know. 
His wife was bathing his face and moan- 
ing. Jerves watched her and remembered 
the hard things he had said about women a 
few nights ago. 

Presently the mate saw a manoeuvre on 
board the Ajax that told him at once the 
captain’s intentions. He saw a larger 
boat swung out, and a heavy hawser handed 
into it. 

You and I are to have a heavy job, 
Mr. Jerves,’' he said. 


92 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

What is it 

We are to take care of these sick peo- 
ple, and steer this ship into Bermuda.’’ 

How do you know all that ? ” 

Do you see that hawser ? It means 
that we are to be taken in tow. The Ajax 
will neither have yellow fever taken on 
board nor abandoned in mid-ocean. We 
are within three or four days’ sail of Bermu- 
da, and you or I will not go on board the 
Ajax again till we get there.” 

Does the captain expect us two to 
nurse these sick and steer the bark also ? ” 
Certainly, if necessary. And quite 
right he is. Here are six of us living. If 
he took us on board, we should be liable to 
carry infection to the whole ship’s com- 
pany. Once we get to Bermuda, he will 
hand the bark over to the proper authori- 
ties, and, with a little extra precaution, you 
and I will be all right. It is hard lines on 
a passenger, I admit, but for me it is only 
in the way of my duty.” 


THE PERILS OF THE SEA. 93 

And, now that I am here, it is in the 
way of my duty also. Say what you want 
done, and depend on me to the best of my 
ability. I’m not a seaman, but I’ll do what 
I can.” 

That’s the talk. The captain will send 
us food, and medicines, and disinfectants. 
We will do the best we know how. I’ve 
been through yellow fever twice myself. 
It is barely possible he may send us a man 
or two. He won’t unless they volunteer, 
so long as we can do the work ourselves.” 

All right. I’m with you.” 

They spread pieces of torn sails over the 
captain and his wife and the two men. 
Jerves made some splints with an axe, and 
tore up a pillow-case for bandages, and set 
the broken arm. He had been too much of 
an athlete at college not to have seen 
broken arms and ribs before. The man 
with the bruised head seemed to be coming 
round all right, but was very weak. All 
the cooked provisions had been washed 


94 CBUISE OF A WOMAN RATER. 

overboard. They opened the cabin win- 
dows and let the air through. 

The Ajax had all this time been work- 
ing up to windward of the bark. As she 
passed astern, the small boat came off again, 
bringing supplies of canned and freshly 
cooked provisions, disinfectants, and medi- 
cines, and the book of directions usually 
carried on board vessels. 

After the ship had worked up as near as 
was prudent, a boat came off with a haw- 
ser, as the mate had foreseen. One man 
also came, a negro, so seasoned in the cane- 
swamps of Cuba as to be fever-proof. The 
message from the captain was that he 
should not send any more help unless they 
called for it. There was no need to say 
more ; Mr. Kollins knew his duty, and 
could be trusted to do it. In a short time 
the bark was in tow of the ship, and 
headed for Bermuda, the mate, Jerves, and 
the negro taking two-hour tricks at the 
wheel. A light line was also rigged, by 


THE PERILS OF THE SEA. 95 

which letters or small articles could be sent 
from one vessel to the other in case of 
need. They made the negro bring the 
bedding from cabin and forecastle and 
throw it overboard. Then they closed all 
the doors and windows and fumigated both 
places thoroughly. The captain and his 
wife slept, one from the exhaustion of the 
fever, the other worn out with fatigue and 
watching. All the sick were well sheltered 
with the torn sails. 


CHAPTER VII. 


THE BRUNA. 

On board the ship, little was done but 
watch the bark and wonder what was 
being done on board. After the excite- 
ment of the morning, all were very quiet. 
The day wore on and so did the night, 
and then two more days and nights. The 
wind continued light, and slow progress 
was made. The mate got some small sails 
on the stumps of the masts. They might 
be of service in case bad weather should 
come on, so that the bark had to be cast 
off. The captain sent a message of ap- 
proval, and directions what* to do in case 
he should signal them to let go. On the 
fourth day, about noon, the lookout re- 
ported another wreck on the starboard 
bow. With the glass she was seen to be 
96 


THE BBUNA. 


97 


a large British steamer, masts and part of 
her smoke-stack gone, and rudder disabled. 
So much could be discerned as she rolled 
in the trough of the sea. As she showed 
signals of distress, the Ajax bore down 
towards her, shortened sail, and waited for 
a boat that was seen coming. Presently 
her first officer came on board and reported 
her to be the Bruna, from Glasgow for 
New Orleans. She had been damaged in 
the same gale as the bark, and had lost 
masts, rudder, all spare spars, and all boats 
but one. Such temporary rudder as they 
could arrange had also been carried away, 
and they were now trying to steer her by 
means of chains hung over the stern, of 
which they had not enough for the pur- 
pose. Her engines were in good condition. 
Seeing the Ajax to\^ing a dismantled bark, 
the steamer’s captain had thought the Ajax 
might be glad to get rid of her, and pro- 
posed to take her in tow himself, thus 
using her as a rudder by which to steer 


98 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

his own vessel to New Orleans. The Ajax, 
however, having towed her so far, was not 
inclined to give her up so readily. The bark 
and cargo were valuable, and if inciden- 
tally to saving the lives the property also 
were saved, there might be a good bit of 
salvage to be earned. So the captain would 
not give her up. The officer then proposed 
to tow both vessels to Savannah, but to this 
the captain of the Ajax would not agree 
either. He was within two days’ sail of 
Bermuda where he could properly leave 
the bark and her sick. Weather permit- 
ting, the steamer might tow both to Ber- 
muda, but to Savannah the Ajax should 
not go. 

This arrangement passed the officer’s 
powers to conclude, and he returned to 
the steamer for instructions, but quickly 
came back with a proposal to purchase the 
bark from the Ajax, but, the captain of the 
bark being still alive and nominally in 
command, the proposition was promptly 


THE BBUNA. 


99 


rejected. The officer then had the hardi- 
hood to suggest that the captain of the bark 
was not in a condition to make any objec- 
tion to a transfer, and that his wishes need 
not be consulted. The only answer to this 
was the alternative of leaving the ship 
instantly or being thrown overboard, and 
Square away, Mr. Bows,’’ came from the 
quarter-deck in a tone of voice that Mr. 
Bows rather liked to hear once in a while, 
but not too often. Mr. Bows was a good 
seaman, but he had his faults, and once or 
twtee in his life he had heard that tone of 
voice when he did not like it at all. Just 
now he knew it only meant prompt obedi- 
ence, and woe to the laggard, and that 
suited him precisely. 

The yards were braced round before the 
officer was fairly over the side of the ship, 
and his painter cast off before he was in 
his seat. The discomfited officer rowed 
away a short distance, when an idea seemed 
to strike him, and, after a short colloquy 


100 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

with one of his men, he turned and rowed 
towards the bark. 

Coming alongside, he sprang into the 
main chains and up on the rail, but as he 
was stepping on deck he found himself 
confronted by Mr. Rollins, with a belaying- 
pin in his hand, and forbidden to come 
further. 

^^Are you master of this bark?’’ de- 
manded the intruder. 

I am in charge of her at present. What 
do you want ?” 

I want to tow her to Savannah.” 

^^The bark is already in tow, as you 
know very well.’' 

“ I am first officer of yonder steamer. We 
have lost our rudder and want the bark to 
steer us. I’ll tow you to Savannah and 
give you £100.” 

And I am first officer of yonder ship, 
and I have picked up the bark in distress, 
and I propose to keep her.” 

^^Then, if you are not her captain, I 


THE BUUNA, 


101 


have nothing to do with you. I want to 
see her captain/’ and he made a movement 
to come on deck. Stop, there,” cried 
Eollins. I am not captain, I am 

master. Stop where you are.” _ 

tell you I want to see the captain. 
Get out of my way.” 

I am all the captain you will see. You 
have no business here. Get off this ship.” 

I’ll get off when I am ordered by the 
captain. I’m not taking orders from you. 
I am going to see the captain.” 

You’ll not see the captain, and you 
will take my orders. Get off this ship 
quick, if you know what is best for you.” 

Now the officer, who had at first pre- 
tended to take Rollins for the captain of 
the bark, knew his rights perfectly well, and 
had no intention of openly exceeding them, 
or of resorting to force. He had secretly 
arranged another project, and all his talk 
was only to give time for it to be carried 
out. While he was engaged with Rollins, 


102 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

one of his men had climbed on board by 
the fore-chains, and attempted, unper- 
ceiyed, to cast off the tow-line. The three 
vessels were quite near together, and his 
plan was to get the bark loose from the 
ship, and, before the Ajax could be got 
round to pick her up again, he would get 
another line to his own vessel, and make 
off with his tow faster than the ship could 
follow. It was a bold project, and a dan- 
gerous one, but he thought he could not 
be proved to have had any hand in getting 
the bark loose, and, once loose, it would be 
hard to say he had not as good a right 
to pick her up as the Ajax. All he had 
done was to say to one of his men, Now 
if that hawser should happen to part, we 
might pick up the bark ourselves,’ ' know- 
ing his man would understand him. He 
might even claim the loosening of the 
hawser to have been an accident. At any 
rate, the weather was threatening, the 
steamer was in some danger of founder- 


THE BUUNA. 


103 


ing, and he knew his captain to be daring 
and not scrupulous. He would run some 
risks, though he would take care to make 
them as light as he could. 

The negro was at the wheel, and Jerves 
was taking his watch below” in the form 
of a nap on a plank, with his head on a 
tackle block for a pillow, when he was 
roused by the voice of Rollins. Rising 
quickly, he saw a strange man at work at 
the hawser. Rushing forward, he was just 
in time to prevent the last bight from 
being thrown off. Dealing the fellow a 
blow that broke his jaw and sent him reel- 
ing and stunned against the bulwarks, he 
secured the hawser again in an instant, 
and then seized the man and pinioned his 
arms round the windlass before he had 
fairly recovered his senses. 

Hearing the noise, two more men came 
from the boat. With a hand-spike Rollins 
laid one of them senseless as soon as his 
feet touched the deck, and aimed another 


104 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

blow at the second, who, in dodging it, 
missed his footing, and, falling overboard, 
striking the boat as he fell, was with dif- 
ficulty hauled into the boat by the remain- 
ing man. 

The officer had jumped to the deck, 
receiving a blow from Rollins’s belaying-pin 
as he did so, and was running to the help 
of his men when he happened to think 
that this might be considered very like 
piracy, and he jumped to the bulwarks to 
get into his boat, but Rollins had got the 
same idea and was too quick for him and 
pulled him back. Then came a struggle, 
and it might have gone hard with Rollins — 
for the fellow was now desperate, and 
making every effort to escape — had not 
the German captain’s wife come up behind 
and garroted him, which soon brought him 
down. Besides the man who had fallen 
and who was considerably hurt, only one 
man now remained in the boat, which he 
held to the chains with a boat-hook. Jerves 


THE BRUNA. 105 

dealt the handle of the boat-hook a blow 
with the hand-spike, knocking it from the 
man’s hands. The boat drifted away, ex- 
tinguishing the last chance of the officer’s 
escape. 

All this passed in much less time than it 
takes to tell it. In fact, not ten minutes 
had elapsed since the order Square away ” 
had been given. Nothing of the affray 
could be seen from the steamer, owing to 
the high bulwarks of the bark ; but to the 
captain of the Ajax it was evident there 
was some trouble, and he quickly shortened 
sail again, and sent a boat’s crew of six 
men, under command of the third mate. 
Mr. Bows heartily cursed his luck at being 
second mate this voyage instead of third. 
It is likely he would have changed places 
with any man in the ship for the chance of 
being where there was a prospect of a 
fight. 

They found Mr. Rollins and Jerves in 
possession of the bark, two men bound, one 


106 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

to the windlass, and one to the stump of 
the foremast, and the first officer gloomily 
walking the deck. The fight was all over, 
so that Bows would have had no pleasure 
at all. Two men were left on board, and 
the three prisoners were promptly trans- 
ferred to the Ajax, where it was some sat- 
isfaction to Bows to put them all in irons. 

By this time the boat with the two men 
had reached the steamer, and explained the 
condition of affairs. The position of the 
steamer was now serious. Night was soon 
coming on, the barometer falling, the first 
officer and two men gone, and another 
badly hurt. They had not succeeded in 
arranging any efficient steering apparatus, 
and, if a gale came up, the steamer would 
almost certainly founder. If she could be 
helped, this was not a time to make terms 
or conditions. Another officer was accord- 
ingly sent to the Ajax to see what could be 
done, with orders to agree to anything that 
was likely to save the ship. 


THE BBUNA. 


lOT 


The Scotch captain, who a couple of 
hours, ago would have quibbled on a £10 
note in payment for a few spars from the 
Ajax, which might have made him a 
rudder, and who would have consented to 
run away with the bark rather than pay it, 
was now in a situation where he must pay 
thousands, or risk the loss of ship, cargo, 
and lives. Captain Bluson was not in a 
good humor to treat with, as may well be 
supposed, and as the steamer s officer soon 
discovered. Three propositions were laid 
before him, either to abandon the steamer, 
bringing all hands on board the Ajax, to • 
be landed at Bermuda; to take the ship 
and bark in tow to Bermuda, and either pay 
£2000, or else, on arrival at Bermuda, have 
the case brought before the admiralty court, 
it being previously agreed that the salvage 
should be considered as from total loss of 
the steamer. 

The second proposition was accepted. 
To pay £2000 for the privilege of towing 


108 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

two vessels two days was certainly aggra- 
vating, but less so than either of the other 
proposals, and the captain of the steamer 
knew there were serious and complicated 
questions of insurance involved, and that 
the captain of the Ajax was taking a con- 
siderable risk. So, while he cursed him out 
of one side of his mouth, he complimented 
him out of the other. 

As to the officer and two men very little 
was said. A mild suggestion as to their 
release brought out such an expression of 
opinion from Captain Bluson that the 
• officer was glad to drop the subject. It 
was quite evident there was nothing for 
them but to be taken in irons to Bermuda, 
there to stand their trial, perhaps for 
attempt at piracy. 

With spare spars from the Ajax, the 
steamer having lost all hers, a drag was 
hastily constructed by which the steamer 
could be held head to the wind if it 
should blow too hard for her to hold on 


THE BRUNA. 


109 


to the ship, which in that case would lie 
by until good weather. Before it was 
quite dark, both vessels were in tow of 
the steamer, and steering towards Ber- 
muda, but making slow progress, with 
the wind ahead. Two more men were 
sent to the bark, making now six able- 
bodied men on board her. Rollins had 
already reported her so thoroughly 
cleansed and fumigated that there was 
no further danger from fever. 

During the night the wind and sea 
increased, until, a little after midnight, 
hawsers had to be cast off, and the 
steamer lay to, by aid of the drag. The 
others also lay to, but the Ajax held on 
to the bark. At times the rain fell 
heavily, and it was an anxious night. 
The following day was little better, but 
towards evening they were able to get 
hawsers on board again. Another day 
and another night passed, with moderate 
winds and fair progress. On the after- 


110 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

noon of the third day, the white shores 
of Bermuda rose to sight, a pilot came 
off, and before morning all were safely 
anchored in the harbor of Hamilton. 

The Ajox anchored a little ahead of 
the others, and was the first to receive^ 
visits from custom-house officers, health 
officers, police officers, and the whole host 
of officials of the port. The captain was 
allowed to go on shore, which he did, 
and called on judges and lawyers and 
consuls and merchants, the result being 
the transfer of the bark to the admiralty 
courts, and the prisoners to the civil 
authorities. This accomplished, permis- 
sion to land was given to all, and, on the 
representation of the captain, quarantine 
was not enforced against Eollins and 
the others on the bark who had gone 
from the Ajax. The German captain and 
his wife and men were sent to the hos- 
pital. Rollins and Jerves were not long 
in getting on board the ship when, after 


THE BRUNA. 


Ill 


bathing, changing their clothes, and 
throwing their old ones overboard^ they 
received the greetings and congratula- 
tions of their friends. The simple ^‘Well 
done, well done,” of Mrs. Bates to Jerves, 
as she gave him her hand, seemed to 
mean something different from the warm 
words she showered on the mate, words 
that sent that officer away feeling as if 
he could go through the whole again for 
another like reward. Her words to 
Jerves seemed to say, You have done a 
noble thing, that I did not think you 
capable of. I am glad I was mistaken 
in you. Please forgive me.” All the 
captain had to say was, Well, boys, you 
have had a hard job, and have done it 
well. Now, let’s go ashore.” But the 
four seamen had to be called up, and, 
after a very few words of commendation, 
were given a suit of clothes each, and a 
day’s leave. Part of the crew were also 
given a day’s leave. ^^Now, see here. 


112 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

men, I want you to enjoy yourselves, but 
I dout want you to disgrace the ship. 
You have done well, an'd I am satisfied 
with you, and I don’t want to be 
ashamed of you when you come back,” 
said the captain, as they passed to their 
boat. Three of them came back sober, 
which Rollins explained afterwards to 
Mrs. Bates was more than he expected. 

They all then prepared to go ashore, for 
there were affidavits and depositions to be 
made, and a vast amount of legal formali- 
ties to be gone through. But, before they 
got started, the captain of the steamer 
came on board to arrange his affairs, and 
the two shipmasters’ discussion was long, 
though without bitterness. The steamer’s 
captain was far from being a gentleman, 
and the two ladies rejoiced that they were 
not among his passengers ; but he was an 
experienced and capable seaman, and rec- 
ognized the like qualities in the other. As 
to the principal object of his coming, how- 


THE BBUNA. 


113 


ever, the release of his officer and men, he 
found the captain of the Ajax inflexible ; 
they must be dealt with by the law, and, 
moreover. Captain Bluson would do all he 
could to bring about a summary trial, 
before any of the parties or witnesses could 
get away. The captain of the steamer 
disclaimed any knowledge of the attempt 
of his subordinate to get possession of the 
bark. If he did anything of the kind, he 
must take the consequences. The captain 
was too shrewd to make much effort to 
protect him. He returned to his ship, but 
afterwards, when the police wanted the two 
men who had escaped from the bark and 
returned to the steamer, he took care they 
should not be found. Spite of that, how- 
ever, Captain Bluson, through the assist- 
ance of the German and American con- 
suls, did bring about a summary trial, 
for there was no reasonable pretext for 
delay. Rollins and Jerves spent most of 
the next day on the witness stand, but 


114 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

only had the satisfaction of seeing the pris- 
oners sent back to jail, to await trial by 
a court of higher jurisdiction. 

Meanwhile, as soon as the captain of the 
steamer had left the Ajax, the ladies and 
children went ashore and explored the 
city, returning loaded with flowers and 
fruits. The story of the Ajax and her two 
prizes created great excitement in the dull 
little city, and our passengers received a 
good deal of attention and many courte- 
sies. They declined all the dinner-parties 
to which they were invited except one, 
which they were told it was hardly permis- 
sible to refuse. 

At last, however, all the legal business 
was done, the bark transferred to the 
courts, the salvage money of the steamer 
paid, each man having his share of it in 
his pocket, and a prospect of some more 
when the proceedings as to the bark 
were concluded. The captain pocketed 
his share as owner, but for his share as 


THE BRUNA, 


115 


master he handed a draft to Rollins, say- 
ing : Here, Mr. Rollins, send this to that 
good old mother of yours with my compli- 
ments, and tell her from me that you have 
behaved only as well as I expected.’' 

Thank you, captain. That’ll do the 
old lady’s heart good. I don’t — ” 

Come, now, write your letter and get 
ashore and mail it. I’ll have some more 
letters to go with it. — Mr. Bows ! ” 

'^Ay, ay, sir.” 

Here’s your share of the salvage money, 
and I’m going to send it to your wife. 
You’ve no use for it, and she has.” 

That’s true, sir. And it’s d — d little 
good it would be to her if I got it between 
my fingers. They’re slippery as h — 1, and 
the hole in the bottom of my pocket’s big- 
ger than the one at the top.” 

No swearing abaft the mainmast, Mr. 
Bows.” 

I beg your pardon, sir. I forgot where 
I was. Just let her know if I get out of 
Bermuda sober, will you, sir ? ” 


116 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATEB. 

Yes. Call a boat alongside to take 
Mr. Eollins ashore with the let^rs, and 
then heave the anchor short.’' 

'' Ay, ay, sir.” 

Mr. Bows wanted to take those letters 
ashore himself, but was aware that the 
captain knew better than to send him, and . 
he went forward, whistling : — 

“ I wish I was in Baltimore, 

Hey, storm along — ” 

Mr. Jerves, being only a passenger, I 
suppose you are not entitled to salvage 
money, and wouldn’t care for it if you 
were ; but I’d like to have you accept this, 
just to remember your life on the bark 
by,” — and the captain handed Jerves a 
silver claret jug, with the name of the bark 
and the latitude and longitude on it. 

“ Thank you, captain. I suspect I shall 
hardly need a reminder, but I’ll accept this 
one with pleasure, and, more than that, I 
will have it filled at once, for I am abomi- 
nably thirsty.” 


THE BBUNA. 


Ill 


All right, and I’ll help yon try it. — 
Come, Mr. Kollins ; boat is waiting.” 

In another hour the Ajax had weighed 
anchor and was again on her way to Hono- 
lulu. 


CHAPTER YIII. 


TRADE WINDS. 

Officers and passengers were too much 
exhausted by the labors and excitements of 
the last two weeks to be very lively, and 
for several days little was done but eat, 
sleep, and relate experiences. At the end 
of a week, however, the old routine was 
resumed, Jerves’s camera re-appeared, also 
his books and drawing materials, and, most 
important of all, his neglected journal. 
There was now plenty of material for it. 
Mrs. Bates’s pen had not been idle, for aside 
from her own diary she had written a com- 
plete account of the late incidents, from 
which Jerves might select what he chose. 
She had made water-color sketches of bark 
and steamer, and whatever she had seen of 
interest. Jerves was greatly surprised, and 
118 


TBABE WINDS, 


119 


S'et vigorously to work to make pen and 
pencil sketches of the deck of the bark as 
he first saw it, the German captain’s wife 
dragging her husband from the cabin, the 
injured men and many other scenes that 
had impressed themselves on his memory. 
There was no lack of subjects, and the 
journal grew rapidly. 

As they sat quietly interested in their 
work, Mrs. Bluson asked Jerves if the 
sight of the German woman nursing her 
sick husband had changed his ideas as to 
the worthlessness and uselessness of women. 
He replied that at first it had, but that 
afterwards he found that Rollins’s care 
was just as great, and on the whole more 
efficient, and that the woman’s attentions 
were quite unnecessary, except as they 
relieved Rollins of some part of his labor. 
Mrs. Bates smiled gently, for she had con- 
versed with the German woman and found 
that although Rollins might have given 
orders, it was Jerves who paid the most 


120 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

attention and gave the most care to her 
husband. 

Jerves’s views about women were the 
never-ending subject for the chaff and ridi- 
cule of the captain and his good-natured, 
kind, and affectionate wife. His notions 
met with a good deal of banter, and were 
taken to be half pretence and half igno- 
rance, and never treated quite seriously. 
These two were so well satisfied that matri- 
mony was the only proper, and suitable, and 
altogether desirable condition for grown 
men and women, that they wanted every- 
body to be in it, and though neither of them 
was a matchmaker in a particular way, 
they were indefatigable preachers of mat- 
rimony in general. Of course very few 
could expect to find such absolutely per- 
fect husbands and wives as theirs, but 
there was surely a right and suitable Jack 
for every Jill, and equally certainly a Jill 
for every Jack. As for Mrs. Bates (who 
never joined in these conversations), she 


TRADE WINDS. 


121 


had been deceived in her Jack, and so had 
got a wrong one, but that did not change 
the general principle in the least. The 
world was not perfect, and some mistakes 
must be expected. 

She and Jerves were on nearly the same 
terms as before. They were fellow-passen- 
gers, but besides this, they were members 
of the same small family. Their occupa- 
tions and amusements were nearly the 
same, and there must be necessarily some 
intimacy, but it was the intimacy of 
respectful companionship rather than of 
friends. Jerves had quite forgotten his 
resolution to make her voyage unpleasant. 
If he had attempted to put it in practice, 
it is likely he would have found the un- 
pleasantness on his side. She seemed to 
have no need of him, while he was fre- 
quently appealing to her for assistance or 
advice, for a song or a translation. He 
confessed to himself she h:id not proved 
the annoyance he expected. He had no 


122 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

excuse for not being polite to her. On 
the bark with Kollins he had greatly missed 
her, and was constantly wondering what 
she was doing, whether she .had noticed 
this sunset or that effect of clouds, and 
even whether she would think .they were 
treating the sick captain properly. 

The weather was pleasant, and every 
body was busy. There were three fes- 
tivals coming, the captain’s birthday, 
crossing the Line, and Christmas — all 
of which were to be observed in elaborate 
style. For the birthday, the children 
were to act the little fairy-tale that Mrs. 
Bates had translated, Harry being the 
prince, and Bobby the little princess. 
Their mother should have been the fairy, 
but the children said nobody but Helen 
could do that, “ and look just like a fairy 
too,” said Bobby, whose ideas of fairies 
were perhaps not very well defined. 

The ladies prepared costumes, and had 
a great deal to do. Then they had to 


TBABE WINDS. 


123 


make dresses for themselves, — thin ones 
for the tropics, and thick ones for Cape 
Horn. They had fashion-books of latest 
styles, and talked about linings, and 
trimmings, and flounces, till the captain 
complained that his saloon was nothing 
but a dress-maker's shop, and that they 
got his logarithms all mixed up with 
box-plaitings and frills. He even de- 
clared that one day he made the ship 
out to be somewhere among the Himalaya 
Mountains, owing to mistaking the 
number of breadths in a skirt for the 
sun’s declination. 

The birthday entertainment was a 
grand success. Jerves made out a pro- 
gramme that was a perfect wonder of 
gorgeous illumination. Mrs. Bates was 
compelled to appear as the fairy, and if 
she was not one of the ordinarily ac- 
cepted type, she was graceful enough, 
and her voice was sweet enough, to make 
her the children’s ideal of a fairy for 
many years after. 


124 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Jerves noticed that the hair, that had 
looked to him such a dirty brown when 
she came on board the ship, now had a 
tinge of gold in it, and the lips that 
were then so white were now almost 
crimson. The sunken cheeks were be- 
coming round and full, and where there 
had then been a line of pain, there was 
now almost a dimple. He was sure the 
man who had so abused and then deserted 
her, must have been a miserable and 
ungrateful scoundrel, and he wondered 
how such an unusually sensible woman 
should have been so deceived as to marry 
him. He thought of asking the captain, 
but concluded he would not even show 
so much interest in her as to inquire 
about her. Still he wished he knew. 

Since the episode of the bark, the first 
mate had taken a strong liking to Jerves. 
Though they had been on friendly terms, 
the mate had looked on Jerves as a 
pleasant, lazy fellow who cared only to 


TRADE WINDS. 


125 


make himself comfortable, eat good 
dinners, and occupy himself with trifles 
that were only one remove from pure 
idleness. But the readiness with which 
Jerves had followed him to the deck of 
the bark, and taken his full share of the 
labors there, his care of the German 
captain and his wife, and especially the 
boldness and promptness with which he 
had attacked the three seamen, and the 
presence of mind he had shown in send- 
ing their boat adrift, had materially 
changed his opinion, and he thought 
there must be a good deal in the 
fellow after all. They had many a long 
talk together, walking the deck in the 
evenings. 

It was on one of these occasions (they 
had been talking of unsuccessful men) 
that the mate was telling of a friend of 
his who had lost his ship by collision 
with an iceberg in a fog, when two of 
his men were drowned. He had been 


126 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

thirty-four hours on deck, and had fallen 
asleep leaning against the rail. Suddenly 
roused by the cry, Ice, right ahead,” he 
had called out ^^Port,” when possibly if 
he had said Starboard,” the berg might 
have been cleared. Though no one ever 
blamed him, he was so distressed and 
disheartened that he would never go to 
sea again, but went with his wife to live 
on a barren little farm that hardly gave 
them a miserable support. It’s an 
infernal pity,” said the mate; ^‘he’s a 
splendid fellow, honest as the sun, and 
with a heart bigger than an ox. They 
have no family, only Mrs. Bates’s little 
girl, who lives with them, but I expect 
they have a confounded hard time of it. 
Mrs. Bates used to send them all she 
could, but it wasn’t much. It’s hard 
lines on the little one too ; she can’t have 
any education, or anything she ought to 
have. I know it worries her mother a 
good deal, but there’s no help for it. 


TRADE WINDS. 


127 


There’s one good thing, though ; the little 
thing’s health is first-rate now, and she’s 
pretty as a picture. I saw her last 
month when I went up to try to get 
Jere to go second mate with us to China, 
and let us keep Bows on third. 

Jere’s fitter for master than he is for 
second mate, and I should have felt queer 
to be giving him orders, but I should have 
been glad to have had him along all the 
same. Bows didn’t care to go second any- 
way. It’s all the same to him in the end 
whether he goes second or third, and he 
knows it. It looks a little as- if the old 
man might make something out of Bows 
this time, though. He got him out of New 
York sober, and out of Bermuda sober, 
and I don’t think the like has happened 
to him before for many a year. I thought 
if I could get Jere to sea once more, he’d 
pick up again, but he’d lost all his courage 
and wouldn’t go. Jere and I saw some 
lively times together in the war. Both of 


128 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

US were pretty young then, and in those 
days Jere wasn’t afraid of anything. I 
suspect he don’t care to leave his wife 
nowadays, and I don’t know that I blame 
him much; A right good helpmate she 
is to Jere, and no mistake. Handsome 
woman, too.” 

^^How old is Mrs. Bates’s little girl 
now?” asked Jerves. 

^^Let me see. She must be about six 
now, I should say.” 

^^How came her mother ever to marry 
that worthless fellow?” 

But just then the lookout called, Light 
on the lee bow, sir ! ” and Jerves’ s ques- 
tion was not answered. It was only a 
steamer, and she was soon out of sight, 
but the mate’s watch was over, and he 
went below. 

Jerves walked the deck a good while, 
thinking things over, and then went to 
his cabin and wrote two letters. One was 
to his bankers, directing them to deposit 


TRADE WINDS. 


129 


certain securities with a Trust Company. 
The other was to his lawyer, directing how 
the income of the securities was to be dis- 
posed of. He even made a draft of the 
letter that should be sent by the Trust 
Company to the person whose name he 
gave. It ran something like this : — 

^^SiR : Some person unknown to us has deposited 
in this Company funds, from which we are directed 
to pay to you the sum of fifty dollars per month, 
from the first of E'ovember last, for the support, 
use, and education of Helen, daughter of Charles 
and Helen M. Bates, so long as she shall remain 
under your care. The same to be expended ac- 
cording to your discretion. Herewith please find,’’ 
etc. 

It was nearly morning before his letter 
to the lawyer was finished, for there were 
many contingencies to be provided for. 
Then he went to bed and entertained 
himself for a while with the attempt to im- 
agine the feelings of the little girl’s guar- 
dians on receipt of the news of her good 


130 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

fortune, and what her mother would say 
when she came to know of it. He thought 
he had managed so that the donor could 
not be known or the gift refused. The 
amount was nothing to him. It would 
make no difference whatever in his per- 
sonal expenses, and would make several 
persons happy. Thinking it all over, he 
fell asleep, and breakfast was over long 
before he awoke. He was severely chaffed 
by the captain for having slept over break- 
fast time and lost his douche. Mr. Bows, 
the captain said, was for giving him his 
douche in bed through the window, for, he 
said, ^^Mr. Jerves wouldn’t like to miss a 
rinse.” 

Jerves bore all their chaff with even 
more than his usual equanimity, and rather 
chuckled to himself, as he thought what 
Mrs. Bates would say if she knew how it 
happened. He was now impatient to get 
his letters off, and his anxiety to meet 
some homeward-bound vessel attracted at- 


TRADE WINDS. 


131 


teiition. With good luck the news might 
reach Mrs. Bates at Honolulu, and he 
wished he might see her face when she 
read her letters. He thought he had pro- 
vided against the possibility of any suspi- 
cion falling on himself by making the pay- 
ments commence from the 1st of Novem- 
ber, which was before he had ever seen 
Mrs. Bates. 

Fortune favored him this time, for the 
next day but one they spoke the Bark 
Galatea, from Rio for New York, and his 
letters, with many others, were sent on 
board her. 

The time passed smoothly. The ship 
was now sailing on summer seas, with 
steady, fair winds. Each day was like 
yesterday, but to the passengers there 
was no monotony. All had enough to do, 
though there was no hurry about doing 
it. To Jerves it was almost an ideal life, 
— perfect ease and comfort, no cares, good 
living, pleasant company, and not too much 


132 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

of it. Mr. Rollins had plenty of leisure 
to work out with him problems at chess 
or mathematics when they felt disposed. 
The captain busied himself with a won- 
derful piece of wood-carving, for which 
Mrs. Bates had copied him an elaborate 
arabesque design out of some book. 

Mrs. Bates had discovered that the 
mate knew her friend Jere Haskins, 
and had seen her little girl. That was 
enough starting ground for many a long 
talk, walking the deck with him in the 
brilliant moonlight, or watching the 
phosphorescent wake of the ship. She 
made him repeat, over and over again, 
his stories of how she looked, and what 
she said and did. He did not tell her 
how very poor her friend Jere was — 
she knew he was poor, but not how poor 
— but he found out that, before starting, 
she had sent him for the child the last 
five-dollar bill she had. Had she been 
taken back to New York in the tug that 


TBABE WINDS. 


133 


brought her to the ship, she would have 
been left there absolutely penniless. She 
did not know that Joel Watterson was 
waiting on the dock for news of her. 

The story of Rollins’s and Jerves’s life 
on the bark was more than once re- 
peated. She asked a great many ques- 
tions about it, especially about the sick 
captain and his wife, and how they 
tended him. She accused the mate of 
not being an impartial narrator, when he 
gave all the credit to Jerves, and once 
she nearly got those two at loggerheads, 
by comparing in their presence their 
different stories. Jerves accused the 
mate of telling tales out of school, and 
the mate declared he would have the 
truth told if he started the bowsprit, 
and said Jerves would make it out that 
it was he who broke that pirate’s jaw- 
bone, if he was not on the spot to con- 
tradict him. Mrs. Bates knew the truth 
of the story, having visited the German 


134 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

woman in the hospital at Bermuda, but 
she made Eollins tell it all over. She 
wondered whether the three men had 
been tried yet, and of course that brought 
out again the account of the fight on 
the bark’s deck. It was very easy to 
excite Rollins’s enthusiasm on that sub- 
ject, and perhaps it was because he 
enjoyed telling the story so much, that 
she invited him to rehearse it so often. 

Now the weather grew very hot. 
They crossed the equator in longitude 
30"^, and some of the sailors were put 
through the old-fashioned and almost 
disused ceremony of a visit from Father 
Neptune, to the great amusement of all, 
especially the children, who begged and 
were finally allowed to take a share in 
the jollification. That day was made a 
general holiday, and Mr. Bows, having 
asked, and been given, the special charge 
of the boys, gave them plenty of fun, 
and looked after them with a jealous 


TRADE WINDS. 


135 


care that diverted the ladies exceedingly 
— who, as may be supposed, kept an 
anxious eye on him. But there was no 
occasion for anxiety, for if they had been 
two kittens, instead of rollicking hoys, 
Bows could scarcely have been more 
tender of them. The effort of ^^the old 
man ” to make something of Bows, got 
a good lift that day. 

The terrible heat lasted two or three 
weeks, with calms, and light airs from 
every direction. Little was attempted 
but to protect themselves from the sun, 
and make themselves as comfortable as 
they could. They swung their hammocks 
under double awnings, and slept in them 
as much as possible. In the cabins the 
heat was almost insufferable, and nobody 
stayed in them but the African steward 
and stewardess. Meals were served on 
deck, and those three weeks were a pro- 
tracted picnic. The fruits brought in 
liberal supply from Bermuda, and Jerves’s 
canned delicacies, were in great demand. 


136 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

After that they had fair and steady winds 
again, and sailed rapidly to the south, 
the nights growing cooler and the days 
more comfortable as they went. The daily 
occupations of reading, writing, sketch- 
ing, and working, and the usual amuse- 
ments of music, card-playing, shuffle-board, 
and quoits, went on south of the equa- 
tor as they had on the north of it. Some 
three weeks of this brought them to a 
region of storms again, and occasional 
gales met them; but our passengers had 
now learned not to fear them, and even 
to take interest in them. 


CHAPTER IX. 


JACK. 

Then came the first seriously unpleasant 
experience of the voyage. One Sunday 
at the usual service, Mrs. Bates missed the 
brown and wrinkled face of the old sailor 
who had asked for another song on their 
first Sunday out, and learned that the poor 
old man was seriously ill in the forecastle. 
Now she remembered that she had seen 
Jerves and the first mate making fre- 
quent visits to the forward part of the 
ship, and that they always returned with 
sober faces. She had quite liked the quiet, 
gentle ways of the old man, and had often 
exchanged a few pleasant words with him. 
There are not many left now of his kind, 
merely a few relics of a past generation. 
The rest of the Ajaxs crew was only about 
137 


138 CEUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

the average sailor of to-day, though Cap- 
tain Bluson had done what he could in 
the way of selecting his men so as to 
have a peaceable ship when his wife was 
on board. He had some good men who 
had sailed with him before, and who 
knew that, though he would have disci- 
pline, he was not a. brute, and that if they 
behaved themselves they could be sure of 
kind treatment. A few trifling skirmishes 
with Mr. Bows and the third mate in the 
first week out had taught others the ad- 
vantages of good conduct, and there was no 
further trouble on board. Once Mrs. Bates 
had had quite a long talk with the old man 
while he sat on a hatch-house making a can- 
vas bucket. He was born on the sea, always 
lived on it, and was never content off of it. 
He had been married, and his only daughter 
was the wife of the mate of a whaler. And 
he brought and showed Mrs. Bates the tri- 
fles he had picked up on his last three 
voyages for his little granddaughter. She 


JACK. 


139 


told him about her own little daughter 
who also had sunny eyes and golden hair, 
like his little Susie. He said he liked to 
hear her sing, and she sang softly to him 
when there was no one by. He gave her 
a wonderful bit of coral from Madagascar, 
and a shell, curiously carved, from Borneo. 

She asked permission to visit him, which 
was granted, the sailors ranging themselves 
aside and taking off their hats as she 
passed. Jerves went with her. They found 
the old man lying in his bunk, evidently 
very feeble. His shipmates had done the 
best they could for him, but it is hard to 
make a sick man comfortable in a ship’s 
forecastle. He tried to rise and salute her, 
but was too weak. She smoothed his pil- 
lows, and gave him such medicines as were 
provided, and talked cheerfully with him. 
His thoughts ran on little Susie and the 
things he was taking to her, and he spoke 
of Mrs. Bates’s little Helen, who he imag- 
ined resembled Susie. He talked to Jerves 


140 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

in a manner that showed Jerves to have 
been a frequent visitor to him, and she 
found that Jerves and Rollins had been 
watching and caring for him several days 
without letting her or the captain’s wife 
know of it. They would not disturb the 
sunshine in the cabin by mention of the 
shadow in the forecastle. Now, however, 
she understood those mysterious confer- 
ences of the captain with Jerves and Rol- 
lins. She would gladly have stayed and 
nursed the poor man, but in the forecastle 
such a thing was impossible. She asked 
the captain for leave to give up her own 
room to him, but he refused, saying, as 
she thought, rather harshly, that he had 
made other arrangements. In the after- 
noon, however, these arrangements ap- 
peared. The room adjoining her own was 
cleared of the extra small stores that had 
been stowed away in it, and made suitable 
for the sick man’s occupancy. Then the 
carpenter came and unscrewed the parti- 


JACK. 


141 


tion between the two rooms, and made a 
door of it. She could now visit and nurse 
the old man as she pleased, while her own 
room was undisturbed. The way in which 
it was done told her that it had all been 
carefully planned beforehand, and she rec- 
ognized how care for her comfort had 
been made to accord with what it was 
thought would be her wishes. She knew 
who it was had done it, for she recollected 
having seen Jerves and the carpenter in 
earnest consultation the day before. She 
saw that it had been intended that when- 
ever she should know of the old man’s 
sickness, or when her care would be of 
use to him, she should be given the oppor- 
tunity to attend him if she wished, as 
she undoubtedly would. The thoughtful- 
ness and regard for her feelings implied 
in this touched her deeply — even more 
than it surprised her that her wishes had 
been so correctly judged. 

When everything had been prepared 


142 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

under the captain’s supervision — Jerves 
not being visible — careful hands brought 
the sick man to the room and laid him in 
the berth. ^^Now, Helen^ I leave the old 
man in your hands/’ said the captain. 
‘^My wife will help you, and Jerves will 
be vexed if you don’t call on him when 
you need anything. Don’t spare him. Take 
good care of the old fellow; he has been 
with me ever since I have been a master. 
He hasn’t been able to work much of late 
years, but he wanted to come with me 
this voyage, and I hadn’t the heart to leave 
him behind. I think he has only one 
more voyage to make, and it isn’t far off 
either. I’ll come in and see him once in 
a while.” 

The captain went away, and his wife 
came and shared Mrs. Bates’ room, and 
they two took care of the sick man by 
turns. There was really not much that 
could be done but to give him soothing 
medicines and make his bed comfortable. 


JACK. 


143 


He was very patient, and if Mrs. Bates 
would sit by him and let her hand lie 
on his he was satisfied. At the least un- 
usual stir in the room Jerves was always 
at the door to see what was wanted, and 
the ladies wondered when and how he 
slept. The captain kept the boys mostly 
with him, and they were very quiet. 

Next to Mrs. Bates, the sick man liked 
to have Jerves with him. They seemed 
to have something in common, and it 
appeared afterwards that he had charged 
Jerves with messages to his daughter and 
little Susie, and directed what should be 
done with the little things he had been 
keeping for them. 

The watching did not last very long. On 
the morning of the fourth day the old 
man awoke, after quite a long sleep, and 
asked Mrs. Bates if he could see Mr. Jerves. 
Jerves was at hand in an instant, and the 
sick man repeated some of the directions 
he had already given. 


144 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

^^Youve been very good to old Jack, 
and he’s much obliged to ye. He’s going 
up aloft pretty soon, and maybe he’ll think 
of ye when he gets there. Thank ye, 
ma’am, for all your kindness. And you 
too, sir, and please don’t forget the things 
for Susie. God bless you both” — and he 
added in the same tone in which he made 
the responses in the service, Amen.” 

Soon after, he asked to see the captain, 
who was quickly summoned, — and he mo- 
tioned the others away. After thanking 
him for his kindness during the many 
years they had sailed together, he confided 
to him that if it could be arranged with- 
out hurting the feelings of his kind friends, 
he would rather go to the forecastle to die. 
The cabin was no place for such as him. 
He had always lived in the forecastle, and 
in the forecastle he would like to die. May- 
be they wouldn’t know him up there if he 
came from the cabin, but if he came from 
the forecastle he would meet many an old 


JACK. 


145 


shipmate who would have a good word to 
say for him. 

The captain promised to have his wishes 
complied with, and in a short time he was 
removed on the bed on which he lay, and 
placed in his own bunk. A light smile 
passed over his features as he recognized 
the familiar surroundings. The men gath- 
ered about, and he called them all up to 
shake hands with him. Old Jack’s going, 
mates, good-bye to ye all,” he said. 

The captain set two of his best men 
to watch with him, with orders to report 
when they should see any signs of change. 
Jerves hovered about ready to receive 
their message. It came very soon. 
Jerves beckoned to Mrs. Bates and looked 
at the captain, and all three entered the 
forecastle together. The sick man smiled 
faintly again as he recognized them, 
feebly extended his hand to Mrs. Bates, 
and all waited for the end. The breath ^ 
grew fainter, and just as eight bells 
struck he breathed his last. 


CHAPTER X. 


ROUND CAPE HORN. ’ 

After this they had a series of gales 
— strong breezes/' the captain called 
them, but our passengers thought them 
rather heavy gales — till they reached the 
latitude of Cape Horn. There they were 
knocked about for two whole weeks. 
Three times the Ajax tried to get round 
the Cape, and was driven back. The 
fourth time, a slant of wind gave her a 
bit of a chance, and in a few hours she 
was clear of that ugly point. Thence 
they sailed away to the west, and then 
turning the ship’s head to the north, 
found smoother seas and milder weather. 
They met no more wrecks, no disabled 
steamers, but kept on their desired course 
without any unusual events. There was 
146 


ROUND CAPE HORN. 147 

plenty to be seen and noted. All the 
glories of the southern heavens, and all 
the wonders of the seas on the west of 
the continent, were over and around 
them as they had been on the east. 
Catching a shark once or twice interested 
them, but otherwise there were few inci- 
dents. It would seem that such a voyage 
must be weary and monotonous, but in 
truth our passengers found it far other- 
wise, and the days were too short for their 
multifarious occupations and amusements. 
The captain’s wife was of course always 
busy. Two lively boys, brimful of health 
and spirits, are not likely to leave their 
careful mother much time for folded 
hands. Mrs. Bates had plenty of occupa- 
tion. The boys’ lessons took up some 
time, and the trunk full of materials 
provided by her friend Mrs. Watterson 
gave her abundant sewing. Her heart 
was very full, whenever she read the 
kind note she found in the top of the 


148 CBUISE OF A WOMAN RATEB, 

trunk. She pasted it inside the lid, and 
never opened the trunk without an im- 
pulse to fall on her knees. And you 
need not worry a bit about little Helen; 
we will look after her/' were among the 
last words it said. And then there was 
Jerves's journal, in which she was greatly 
interested, and which was now nearly as 
much hers as his. It was always open 
to both. In fact it was almost public 
property, for the captain had written a 
story of college life for it, and his wife a 
simple and charming little episode of 
her girlhood. Mr. Rollins gave an 
account of the capture of a slaver, and 
Mr. Bows told of the wreck of the 
Juniata^ in a manner that was second 
mate all over. Jerves, in his frequent 
excursions to the forward part of the 
ship, picked up among the men many 
an anecdote and incident, and many a 
song, and all went into the journal. 

Then they had what they called balls 


ROUND CAPE HORN. 


149 


and operas and concerts and garden- 
parties and charades, that people on land 
incline to think exclusively their own. 
It was a garden-party ” whenever they 
played ring quoits and shuffle-board, and 
there were charades ” whenever the 
boys were unusually quiet for an hour 
or so, and then appeared rigged out in 
costumes of anything inappropriate for 
boys’ wear, and pretended to represent 
some impossible word. Mrs. Bates had 
had set a ball rolling that was not easily 
stopped, when she dressed up those boys 
to enact cat’s-paw ” on the birthday 
festival. Their mother sighed whenever 
she saw them appear, and it took her an 
hour to put in order what they deranged 
in ten minutes. They had concerts, in 
which all took part, especially Mr. Bows, 
who was rather proud of his singing, and 
gave ^^In the Bay of Biscay 0,” with a 
power of lungs that the captain said threat- 
ened to take the mizzen topsail aback.” 


150 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

One glorious evening, when the moon 
was at its full, the men were dancing to 
the music of the steward’s violin. By some 
chance he struck a very passable waltz. 
The captain said to his wife, Carrie, I 
wonder if we have forgotten how to waltz ? ” 
It appeared they had not, and Jerves and 
Mrs. Bates applauded them. His wife get- 
ting out of breath, the untiring captain 
came up to Mrs. Bates with : ^^Now, Helen, 
it’s your turn” — and Mrs. Bates waltzed 
with him with an ease that surprised even 
herself. She had not realized before how 
completely her health and strength were 
restored. Jerves wondered whether she 
would waltz with him, and, with his usual 
sagacity, deciding that the only way to 
know was to ask her, did so, and she con- 
sented, but after dancing a few minutes she 
suddenly stopped and sat down, trembling 
a little, and looking pale. Jerves thought 
she was ill, but she said she was not at 
all. The feeling had all at once come 


ROUND CAPE HORN 


151 . 


over her that dancing with Jerves was too 
pleasant, that there was some strange at- 
traction about it that she must resist. The 
sensation was very vague, but, whatever it 
was, it had controlled her for an instant. 
She recovered herself quickly, but was 
almost frightened, and would not dance 
any more. She was glad when the music 
ceased, and she went to bed with an unac- 
countable disquiet. She wished she could 
accuse Jerves of something, but no — he 
had been as respectful, and even as formal, 
as any casual partner at an evening party. 
It did seem as if there was something more 
than usual in the steadiness of his right 
arm about her, and the tenderness with 
which he held her hand. He had never 
taken her hand before, she remembered, 
except the day when he came from the 
bark, and that had been at a time of ex- 
cited congratulations, and he had shaken 
it warmly. Then she felt ashamed that 
she should be thinking so much about him. 


152 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

and so, with an effort, she turned her 
thoughts to the German captain, and won- 
dered whether he had entirely recovered 
from the fever, and whether Jerves’s treat- 
ment of him had been quite correct. 

Sleep came at last. Next morning she 
was quiet, and almost dull, until Jerves 
handed her the journal, in which to write 
an account of the dance, which after a 
while she did, with uncommon spirit and 
humor — perhaps more than were quite 
natural. Jerves was not altogether satis- 
fied. She had a good deal to say about 
the moonlight, and about the dancing of 
the sailors, and of the captain and his wife, 
but not a word of herself, scarcely a word 
of him. After the dance Jerves had not 
cared for a pipe, but brought one of his 
choicest cigars and a bottle of claret, and 
sat until every one but the watch on deck 
was fast asleep. He thought of Mrs. Bates’s 
dancing, and wondered if her friend Jere 
had received the letter from the Trust Com- 


ROUND CAPE HORN. 


153 


pany yet, and whether it was likely she 
would hear about it when they reached 
Honolulu. He thought he might have 
given more — though perhaps it was better 
as it was. The obligation to the unknown 
benefactor might oppress her. He consid- 
ered whether there was any other way in 
which he could do something for her ad- 
vantage. He had a good deal of money, 
more than he knew what to do with. With- 
out almost purposely wasting it, he could 
not spend his income. Perhaps she could 
advise him what to do with it. He was 
tempted to consult her. But this might 
seem to be making parade of his wealth, 
and the contrast with her poverty might 
afflict her. He did not think it would ; she 
was superior to any feeling of envy. Still, 
it might give her a momentary pang. And 
if he consulted with her, it would effec- 
tually prevent him from using any of his 
money for her benefit if he should here- 
after see any opportunity to do it. He 


154 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

compared her with the girl he had first been 
engaged to^ and she seemed to belong to 
an entirely different species. If he had 
met with a woman like this in his youth, 
he would — well, he would have had an 
entirely different opinion of the sex. He 
wondered again what sort of a brute her 
husband had been, for surely he could be 
only a thorough brute who would treat such 
a woman with anything hut care and ten- 
derness. He was not a marrying man him- 
self; he had long ago resolved never to 
marry and had not the slightest intention 
of changing his mind, but there were lots 
'■ of men for whom she would make a splen- 
did wife. She was young yet — only 
twenty-eight — such a woman ought not 
to remain unmarried. There was Eollins, 
the mate — he would be master next voyage ; 
as fine a fellow as ever shipped. Well, he 
was not exactly the right one, though she 
might do worse. He thought over his club 
acquaintance, but failed to recall one that 


BOUND CAPE HORN. 


155 


he thought exactly suitable, and, his cigar 
being out, he went to bed. 

In the afternoon of the next day, after 
the journal had been written out, he took 
the steward forward, and by dint of much 
humming and whistling he taught that un- 
learned musician a new waltz. Jerves 
wanted another dance, and they had one 
that same night. Mrs. Bates was for a 
moment disposed to refuse, but thought she 
would not be so foolish, and she danced all 
the evening. 

And so the good ship kept on northward 
towards the equator, and all went well. 
There were no quarrels among the little 
group of passengers, though many lively 
discussions on many subjects. There was 
not likely to be stagnation of the intellect 
where the captain and Mrs. Bates were. 
Jerves had also his opinions, and, except on 
the question of matrimony, they generally 
were founded on reason and good sense. 
On that subject there had lately been a 


156 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

truce, though the captain’s charming wife 
was little inclined to regard it, and it was 
impossible entirely to suppress the captain’s 
chaff. His wife had an idea that here were 
two capital subjects for matrimony right at 
hand, and she poured out her views freely 
to her husband. 

Now those two ought to be married,” 
she said. I don’t see why they are not 
exactly suited to each other.” 

Perhaps you don’t, my dear^ but if they 
don’t happen to think so, I don’t exactly 
see how you are to make them.” 

^^But they ought to think so without 
any making. Jerves is a very good fellow, 
and I am sure Helen is just as lovely as 
she can be.” 

Granted. But suppose Jerves doesn’t 
want a wife, and Helen doesn’t want a hus- 
band?” 

^^Now you know Jerves ought to have a 
wife. Do you think a man of his age 
ought to be rambling round the world in 


BOUND CAPE HORN. 


157 


this way without a woman to look after 
him?” 

That’s just it. He wants to ramble 
where he likes, without any woman inter- 
fering with him.” 

“ I am sure Helen wouldn’t interfere any 
more than was good for him. He ought 
to be interfered with. He would be all the 
better for it.” 

I don’t know that Helen would like in- 
terference any better than he.” 

I am afraid myself she would be rather 
loth to give up her independence again.” 

‘^Then, besides, don’t you see, he is so 
rich, and she is so poor, she would always 
be feeling uncomfortable about it.” 

He should make her a wedding present 
large enough to give her a handsome in- 
come for her own use.” 

That would be nice. And then when 
she didn’t want to live with him, she could 
go and live somewhere else.” 

^^She always would want to live with 


158 CBUISE OF A W03IAN HATER. 

him. I am sure he would be very good to 
her. And Helen would never quarrel with 
any one who was reasonable.” 

I don’t think myself she would pull his 
hair, or scratch his face, or anything of 
that kind.” 

^^Now you know she would never give 
him an unkind word.” 

You can’t say. Even the gentle Helen 
might be made angry. I knew one of 
the sweetest-tempered little women in the 
world to get awfully vexed — once.” 

^^And awfully sorry she was, too, after- 
wards, I remember.” 

So sorry she forgave the offender.” 

I think it was he who forgave. But 
never mind that any more, dear." I think 
we ought to manage to bring those two 
together.” 

They seem to be fairly together now, 
as nearly as I can see. They are playing 
cribbage together, and very peaceably.” 

How stupid you can be when you try ! 
I am quite proud of you.’* 


BOUI^D CAPE HORN, 


159 


Thank you, my dear. Anyway, I 
doubt if I am brilliant enough to ^ bring 
together,’ as you call it, two people who 
don’t want to marry at all.” 

How do you know they don’t want to 
marry ? ” 

I haven’t noticed any signs that they 
did.” 

don’t suppose they have made any 
signals to you, but I think they would 
make an awfully nice couple.” 

So perhaps would a good many others 
who don’t want to marry each other any 
more than these two. I think I could 
draw up a marriage contract that would 
about meet this case, if you must have 
them married, whether or no.” 

wish you would. I should like to 
see it.” 

So the captain hunted up pencil and 
paper, and retired into himself,” and 
presently produced what he called a con- 
tract. 


160 CRUISE OF A WOMAN EATER. 

There/' said he, I haven’t taken time 
to put it into complete legal form, but I 
think that would about satisfy both these 
parties.” 

This is a copy of it : — 

This contract of marriage between HE of the first 

part, and SHE of the second part, witness- 

eth : — 

1. Neither party is to interfere with the other 
in any manner whatsoever. 

2. Both parties are at full liberty to do what- 
ever they please, without being responsible to the 
other. 

3. Neither party shall pay any of the debts of 
the other, or contribute in any way to the support 
of the other. 

4. Both parties may live where they choose on 
condition of paying their own expenses. 

5. Neither party shall visit the other unless 
specially invited. 

6. Endearing epithets, such as Delight of my 
existence,” ^‘Joy of my soul,” and the like, are 
strictly prohibited. 

7. Certain expressions indicative of intense af- 
fection (which are hereafter to be agreed on), such 
as How do you do this morning ? ” and “ Good- 
night,” may be used by each once daily. 


BOUND CAPE HORN. 


161 


8. The party of the second part shall not en- 
force her views by the throwing of dishes or in 
any similar manner. 

9. The party of the first part shall not box the 
ears of the party of the second part without giving 
three days previous notice in writing. 

10. Any breach of the conditions of this con- 
tract shall be suf6.cient cause for instantaneous 
divorce. 

how do you like it?’’ said the 
captain. Do you think it will answer ? ” 
It’s no more absurd than you are.” 

^^You couldn’t expect it. When they 
ask me to make a contract for them, I’ll 
make a jolly good one, but meanwhile I 
think this will suit them very well.” 

So the captain’s wife found she could 
get no help from her husband, and went 
away, racking her bright little brain as to 
how she should bring about what she had 
determined was one of the most desirable 
things in the world. 

But the party of the first part and the 
party of the second part both went on in 


162 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

tlieir usual way, excellent friends, and per- 
haps each gaining in the esteem and re- 
gard of the other, but without any appar- 
ent inclination towards a closer relation. 
If they thought of any other relation, it 
was rather as something that might have 
been than as anything possible yet to be. 
If her husband had been more like Jerves, 
she may have thought, she would have 
been spared much sorrow. If I had met 
such a woman as this in my youth, Jerves 
may have said to himself, I should have 
been a happier man. It was too late now ; 
he was too old. Perhaps, without their 
being conscious of it, these very feelings 
made them more gentle and friendly than 
they would otherwise have been. One 
evening, when all were sitting, chatting 
and telling stories together, the captain 
spoke among other things of a man he 
knew who fancied himself very much in 
love with a certain lady. He was very 
attentive to her, and made her presents, 


ROUND CAPE HORN. 


163 


and asked her to marry him so many times 
that she, having no other particular en- 
gagement on hand at the time, finally con- 
sented, though not caring for him in the 
least, as she freely avowed. She said she 
had a sister, a widow, who was much bet- 
ter suited for him than she was, and she 
wished he would go West and see her. 
She was sure he would be much more in 
love with her sister than he was with her. 
But the man declined to go West and in- 
sisted on marrying the young lady ; and he 
bought a fine house and furnished it, and 
the wedding day was fixed, the wedding 
journey arranged, and all their plans duly 
made. Three or four days before the one 
fixed for the wedding, the widowed sister 
arrived from the West, according to agree- 
ment. She was to get the house into run- 
ning order during the absence of the new 
couple, and have it in readiness for them 
on their return. 

She came, and she also saw and con- 


164 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

quered, for, when the wedding-day arrived, 
it was she who went to the altar, and not 
the other; and the other stayed at home 
and lighted the fires and set in motion 
the nuptial festivities. The arrangement 
seemed to be satisfactory to all parties. 

Now if No. 1 had withdrawn without 
finding another wife for the man, she 
would have been thought a heartless co- 
quette, and the man would perhaps have 
thought he could never be consoled. And 
here within four days he drops No. 1 and 
takes up No. 2, and there are no hearts 
broken at all. And if he had married No. 1 
it is also quite possible she would have 
made him a good wife, and he would have 
been just as happy with her as he was with 
No. 2. 

‘^All which proves what?’^ asked Jerves. 

I have forgotten just what it does 
prove,” answered the captain. 

What did you intend to prove, cap- 
tain?” inquired Mrs. Bates. 


ROUND CAPE^HORN 165 

I believe I have forgotten that, too — 
but it ought to fit into some of your argu- 
ments. If it suits any of you, you are 
welcome to it.” 

It would suit my old acquaintance who 
thought some one else could select a wife 
for a man as well as he could himself,” 
said Jerves. 

It only proves that half the men in the 
world don’t know their own minds, and 
everybody is aware of that already,” put in 
the captain’s wife. 

It proves that women may sometimes 
marry men whom they do not love,” said 
Mrs. Bates. 

Then the story suits you all, and that is 
a good deal more than I expected,” claimed 
the captain. 

Don’t those women make just as good 
wives as if they were in love before they 
were married?” inquired Jerves. 

Of course not,” was the prompt 
reply of the captain’s wife. 


166 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

^^Some may, but I think not many. I 
should be afraid,’’ added Mrs. Bates. 

shouldn’t wonder if there were a 
good many,” said the captain. ‘‘1 have 
heard it said a woman will love any man 
who is kind to her.” 

And some say one man is just as good 
as another,” added Jerves, and was imme- 
diately sorry he had said it, remembering 
Mrs. Bates’s husband. 

The captain went on. ^^And I have 
known good, middle aged and elderly 
women to encourage girls to marry men 
for whom they knew the girls did not care 
a bit.” 

Yes, and I once knew such a woman to 
urge a girl to marry a man whom she not 
only did not like, but who was absolutely re- 
pulsive to her. She could scarcely think of 
his touching her without a shudder. ^ Oh, 
you’ll get over that after a while,’ she 
would say. ^ He is rich, and can give 
you a good home, and I think he’ll be 


HOUND CAPE HORN. 


167 


kind to you. I know he is stupid and 
coarse j but you’ll get accustomed to him. 
A great many girls lose good chances by 
being too particular. It won’t do to be 
fussy about such little things as those. 
After you have lived with a man a few 
years, you won’t mind his ways much.’ 
Now what do you think of that woman’s 
advice, Mrs. Bates ? ” 

I think, Mr. Jerves, it was wrong and 
sinful. The girl would be an unhappy and 
wicked wife. I don’t know which should 
be pitied most, the wife or the husband.” 

And yet the woman considered herself 
an unusually good and pious person.” 

I think she was mistaken in her ad- 
vice.” 

The captain’s wife did not see that this 
kind of conversation tended at all to 
bring those two together,” as she had 
phrased it, and decided it was bedtime. 


CHAPTER XI. 


HELPLESS. 

But the evenings for conversation on 
this or other subjects were coming to an 
end. They were nearing the equator 
again, with the usual light, baffling winds, 
terrible heat and occasional storms of thun- 
der and lightning and rain. Jerves had 
long proposed to himself to see if he could 
photograph the ship and sea loj a flash of 
lightning. The lightning during these 
storms was too continuous to make this 
easy, but he contrived a plan that he 
thought would work. He set the instru- 
ment under the projecting roof of the 
saloon, in what he thought would be a good 
position, and covered it with a heavy tar- 
paulin. The portion that covered the lens 
he would raise by means of cords, at the 
168 


HELPLESS. 


169 


same time that he removed the cap from 
the lens. 

At what he thought a suitable moment 
he would remove and replace the cap and 
lower the tarpaulin over the whole. Be- 
tween the flashes the darkness was intense, 
and he hoped he could, by acting very 
quickly, take and preserve a negative that 
he could develop at leisure. He waited 
almost impatiently for a thunder-storm, and 
one evening it came. His success was com- 
plete so far, but just as he had got the cap 
replaced, an extraordinary flash came and 
every person on deck was stricken down. 
The man at the wheel was thrown vio- 
lently against the rail, the mate fell heav- 
ily to the deck, and the mizzen top-gallant 
mast was shivered to splinters. The cap- 
tain and his wife and Mrs. Bates, who were 
watching Jerves from the saloon, were 
blinded and partially stunned. Jerves fell 
beside his camera, dragging it with him in 
his fall. 


170 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

The captain was the first to recover from 
the shock, and he carried the two ladies to 
their rooms, where they shortly came to 
their senses, and in a few minutes the 
mate and the man at the wheel were able 
to return to their duties. Jerves was not 
to be seen, but, on search being made, he 
was found quite unconscious under the tar- 
paulin, which had fallen over him. He 
had been standing near the foot of the 
mast that had been struck, and had re- 
ceived more of the shock than the others. 
They removed him to bed, but it was long 
before he recovered consciousness, and 
when he did he found that the slightest 
light gave him exquisite pain. They ban- 
daged, and did all that their knowledge of 
such things prompted, but no one slept 

much that night. It was a sad time. 

* 

Perhaps Jerves himself felt less than the 
others, for all his senses seemed benumbed. 
The morning brought some alleviation, 
for all but Jerves were able to be about. 


HELPLESS. 


171 


They brought him out of^he stifling heat 
of the cabin and made him a bed on the 
deck under thick awnings. Except from 
the soreness in his eyes, he suffered little 
pain, but could bear no light. 

Was he to be always so? His thoughts 
were very busy, and, though he spoke 
cheerfully and talked of his blindness as 
a mere passing incident that would be over 
in a day or two, he felt a good deal of 
doubt about it, and the thought that he 
might remain in this useless, helpless, de- 
pendent condition for the rest of • his life 
at times almost drove him frantic. 

A week ago he had felt that he was 
almost an old man. In five years more he 
would be forty, and he remembered how in 
his youth he had thought that a man of 
forty could have little but old age to look 
forward to. At thirty-five, forty did not 
look so much like old age, but forty-five 
would soon come, and there could not be 
much worth living for after that. 


172 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Now, he thought, he was only thirty- 
five, and there might be twenty, thirty, 
even thirty-five more years of life before 
him. Thirty-five years of helplessness, 
of dependence on others, of deprivation 
of all the pleasures the world had in 
store! Was life worth having on such 
terms ? 

If he had been born blind, he might 
have trained other senses to supply in part 
that of sight ; but now it was too late. 
There could be no joys to come, he could 
do nothing but remember those that were 
past. He tried to recall things he had 
seen, to fix them afresh in his memory, so 
that he might have them to think of here- 
after. Lying there on his mattress, he 
thought of many things, while the others 
spoke quietly, not knowing whether he 
was asleep or awake. It was a weary day 
to all. The next day he had even less 
pain, but the light was equally painful. 
He could sit up and could talk, and, 


HELPLESS. 


173 


though all had doubts about his ever re- 
covering his sight, they took their tone 
from him, and spoke as if they thought it 
certain. He asked Mrs. Bates to write up 
the journal and read it to him, which she 
did. What she wrote about his blindness 
was, ^^Mr. Jerves has not even yet recov- 
ered the use of his eyes.’’ Her own diary 
read very differently from that. She still 
had some hope, but it was slight. To em- 
ploy him, she asked him to hold some 
skeins of yarn for her to wind, and made 
him cut the leaves of a book she did not 
want to read. She induced him to dictate 
something for the journal, and kept him 
about it as long as she could. The captain 
came and talked a little, but enforced 
cheerfulness was more than he could stand, 
and he went away again. His wife spoke 
more naturally than the rest, and the boys 
played about a good deal as usual. The 
general atmosphere was more cheerful, and 
after a while Jerves himself felt as if his 


174 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

blindness might be only temporary, and so 
his despondency passed away somewhat. 
Still, he could not move without guidance ; 
could not cut his own food ; could not find 
the paper-cutter that he had dropped. He 
was almost helpless. There were plenty of 
hands at his service, but he found that 
the hands of Mrs. Bates were the readiest, 
and it was she who was quickest to divine 
his wishes, and she who led him most care- 
fully. She gave him something to do to 
occupy his mind and divert his thoughts 
as much as she could. She made him talk 
of things they had spoken of before, and 
tell of things he had seen in his travels, of 
Nuremberg and Constantinople, of Egypt 
and the pyramids. His description of 
quaint old Nuremberg was so graphic and 
interesting she made him repeat it all, so 
that she might write it down. His mem- 
ory was good, and, besides that, his de- 
scriptions were the more vivid from his 
loss of sight. It is probable that he chose 


HELPLESS. 


175 


his words and made them more clear, 
purely as an intellectual exercise. He 
was full of anecdotes, and told many 
stories, though somehow they seemed to 
be mostly of scenes of sorrow and suffer- 
ing, as if those came unconsciously to his 
mind. The story of a friend of his fam- 
ily, a young girl, dying alone and unloved, 
in Paris, he told with a pathos that made 
all their hearts ache. 

He insisted on having another concert 
such as they had before, and to please him 
they carried out the project, and Mr. Bows 
sang some of his loudest and some of his 
most comical songs ; but when J erves stood 
up to sing, with the black bandage over his 
eyes, the captain choked, his wife burst 
into tears, and Mrs. Bates’s accompani- 
ment broke down. 

Another day he wanted a quotation, and 
Mrs. Bates found it for him, and afterwards 
read the whole poem to him, to his great 
enjoyment. After that, reading became a 


176 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

frequent occupation for her. She was 
always at hand when wanted, and never in 
the way. 

And so the days ran on. 


CHAPTER XII. 


HONOLULU. 

One morning a very early riser would 
have found the captain quietly walking the 
deck long before daylight. Rollins and 
Bows were also both at hand, and two 
extra men on the lookout in the tops. 
There was an air of expectancy over the 
ship, until suddenly, Land ho ! was 
heard from the maintop,, and Rollins was 
quickly in the rigging with his binocular. 
The captain stopped a minute, and then 
continued his walk. The word had come 
half an hour sooner than he expected, that 
was all, and it did not excite him in the 
least. 

Soon the day broke, and before long 
something like a great white cloud resting 
on a dark base was visible from the deck. 

177 


178 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

A long look at it through the glass, and 
the captain called down the companionway, 
Carrie ! Boys ! Tumble up here, land 
is in sight ! — and Land, land, land ! ” 
rang through the cabins and saloon. 

Tumble up ” the boys did, regardless of 
costume, and the ladies and Jerves were 
not long after them. 

Where is the land? I don’t see any 
land,” cried they all, after straining their 
eyes in the direction in which every one 
was looking. 

Do you see that great white cloud 
yonder ? ” 

Yes.” 

That is the snow-covered top of Mauna 
Kea, and near Mauna Kea is Mauna Loa, 
and on the side of Mauna Loa is one of 
the greatest volcanoes in the world, and 
under it is Hawaii, one of the Sandwich 
Islands, that we started more than three 
months ago to find.” 

And so they drew towards the land, the 


HONOLULU, 


179 


cloud growing larger and its base darker as 
they went on. Then the shores were 
plainly to be seen and, they passed the day 
in watching them and describing the 
changing views to each other and to 
Jerves. 

Night came on again, and the fires of 
Kilauea took the places of the cloud and 
the mountain. Daylight showed them the 
high peaks of Oahu right ahead, and they 
passed rapidly by lovely Waikiki andj 
Leahi, and before noon were safely at 
anchor in the outer harbor of Honolulu, 
and soon after all had exchanged the cosey 
and pleasant saloons and cabins of the 
Ajax for larger but scarcely more pleasant 
rooms at the Hawaiian Hotel. 

At Honolulu, Jerves consulted all the 
physicians he came across, local and pass- 
ing, surgeons of men-of-war and of passen- 
ger steamers, but without satisfaction. 

The only real encouragement he got was 
from the surgeon of an English steamer. 


180 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

one of those ignorant yonng fellows some- 
times carried on those ships, — men whose 
principal medical qualifications consist in a 
capacity for singing jolly songs and telling 
an infinite number of stories in the smok- 
ing-rooms. This one told him he thought 
his sight would come back as suddenly as 
it had been lost. 

It is needless to say Jerves did not value 
this opinion highly, and thought the sover- 
eign he paid for it rather poorly invested. 
The M. D. promptly handed the coin over 
to the steward of his ship on account, but 
the subsequent proceedings hardly tended 
to lighten his indebtedness to that func- 
tionary. Total abstinence when on duty 
was a rule of the ship, but in port the 
regulation could hardly be expected to be 
observed. 

Jerves met in Honolulu of course the 
usual number of globe trotters,*' and 
among them two or three that he had 
met before. 


HONOLULU, 


181 


One of them was a former acquaintance 
in Colorado. When Jerves knew him 
there he was fresh from New England, 
and had all the usual New England habits 
of speech ; but later he had taken a pride 
in casting them all off and in taking on 
Western directness and force, with the idea 
that bluntness indicated honesty, and that 
impertinence was only plain speaking. 
This man, whose name was Dulcifer, but 
who came to be known and spoken of and 
even sometimes addressed as ^^Mr. Colo- 
rado,’’ — a name which did not displease 
him, — attached himself to our party as 
much as he could, and went everywhere 
with it when not prevented. Jerves was 
mostly confined to a dark room, with a 
bandage over his eyes, but he insisted on 
being left alone rather than deprive the 
others of the pleasure of viewing the inter- 
esting and varied attractions of the Is- 
lands. Their numerous rides and drives, 
which they enjoyed extremely, were there- 


182 CEUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

fore mostly taken without him. For Mrs. 
Bates, to be on horseback was a delight she 
had not experienced for many years, and 
little Harry was the most attached of 
squires. They all gratified Jerves by 
going on excursions, and gratified them- 
selves by returning as quickly as possi- 
ble. The amount of talk they all made 
out of a trip, that ought to have taken a 
day but was run over in a few hours, sur- 
prised the Colorado man, who would have 
told all about it and dismissed the subject 
in five minutes. He could not see that the 
quick return and long talks were for the 
purpose of relieving Jerves in the tedium 
of his confinement. Once they induced 
Jerves to join them in an excursion by 
water to Waikiki. He was sensitive 
about appearing in public on shore, but 
alone with his friends he scarcely thought 
of his bandages. This time the captain 
thought he had got away without Colo- 
rado,’’ whose presence always annoyed 


HONOLULU. 


183 


him. He could scarcely compel himself 
to treat him with reasonable courtesy, 
and often wished he could have him at 
sea for a while, where he would give him 
ample opportunity to keep a lookout from 
the foretop. His wife was, perhaps, even 
less inclined to be courteous than himself. 
That sweet-tempered lady, ordinarily one 
of the most amiable of her sex, became 
especially angry when she once discov- 
ered that Mr. Colorado was paying more 
than really necessary attention to her 
friend Helen. She watched him sharply, 
and made such remarks to him that if 
gentle sarcasm could have destroyed a 
pachyderm, Mr. Colorado would have been 
obliterated. But that gentleman’s thick 
skin was also too well overlaid with good 
opinion of himself and all that belonged to 
him to allow her shafts to penetrate it, and 
he took it all very smilingly, considering 
that it was only her natural manner, and 
receiving it in the same spirit in which the 


184 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Yorkshireman received his wife’s beatings. 
•^^It bleezes she, an’ don’t nrt I.” Even 
all the small coin he expended in induc- 
ing the youthful islanders to swim and 
dive for the amusement of her boys 
failed to mollify her. 

This day the captain thought he had got 
safely away without him, and almost 
chuckled over the little ruse by which he 
had accomplished it ; but they had not been 
long on shore before Colorado arrived in a 
boat by himself, and began to apologize Jor 
being late, and said he was glad they had 
not felt obliged to wait for him. The cap- 
tain told him he had not felt at all obliged, 
and his wife sharply added, ^^Oh, not in 
the least. I was not even aware you had 
been invited.” 

There, I suspected you had forgotten 
me,” he said. 

“1 don’t think you were forgotten at 
all,” said Jerves, and the captain was on 
the point of saying something that could 


HONOLULU, 


185 


by no possible means have been construed 
as complimentary, had not Mrs. Bates 
stopped him. She would rather endure 
the man’s company than have a quarrel. 

Colorado noticed her look to the cap- 
tain, and ignored Jerves’s words, resolved 
; to have his revenge later. He thought the 
look was a reproof for their rudeness, and 
an intimation that she wished him to 
remain. Any way, remain he did, and 
was as polite as he knew how to be. If 
he vexed the captain and his wife perpetu- 
ally by grinding up all sentiments, fancies, 
and feelings, in his mill of coarse matter-of- 
fact, there was a certain air of geniality in 
the manner in which he poured them into 
the hopper, that made it hard to take 
offence. He even thought Mrs. Bates en- 
joyed his society, for though she said but 
little she smiled occasionally at some 
quaint westernism of language, which he 
took for encouragement to go on. So he 
made himself very much at home, and ex- 


186 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

erted himself to be agreeable, and carried 
the burden of the conversation. He was a 
good deal attracted by Mrs. Bates, and 
having interviewed Eollins, and treated 
Bows, and quizzed the captain and his 
wife with scanty, but as he thought suffi- 
cient results, he decided that, with her at 
the head of the finest house and the broad- 
est table at Denver, there was no position, 
social or political, to which he might not 
aspire. He had not been obliged to take 
account of stock’’ for several years, but 
now he counted up his cattle ranches and 
silver mines, and calculated how much he 
could afford to expend per annum in sup- 
port of his aspirations. The result was 
satisfactory, and he resolved, as he ex- 
pressed it to himself, to ^^go in for her.” 

But he did not know what might possi- 
bly be her relations with Jerves. Their 
intimacy might be only the result of close 
association during the long voyage, or it 
might be something more. Their manner 


HONOLULU. 


187 


told nothing, and he had got no informa- 
tion out of the captain or his wife. He de- 
termined to ask Jerves about it, — not that 
the information he might get would make 
any difference in his resolution to propose to 
her; — he would cut Jerves out if he could, 
and if it were necessary, but if he found 
there was no engagement between them, 
his business would be the simpler, and per- 
haps his chances of success better. If 
there was anything between them, he 
would use it to worry and annoy Jerves, in 
revenge for his remark about not being 
forgotten in the invitations to the excur- 
sion. He was quite conscious that he 
might meet with a refusal, but he would be 
none the worse off, and could stand even 
that ; and on the whole he would venture 
to risk his chances against those of a blind 
man. His wealth was even greater than 
his rival’s, and his possible position might 
be much higher than that of the unambi- 
tious Jerves. He did not know how much 


188 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

these would count with Mrs. Bates, but he 
had great confidence in them. 

After a time the party scattered about, 
amusing themselves as they liked. Jerves 
remained lying on the grass under a tree. 
Presently Colorado came back and accosted 
him. ^^Well, old man, I found they had 
left you alone, so I came back to keep you 
company.” 

^^Very kind of you,” said Jerves, who 
had an intuition that this attention had 
some purpose in it, ^^but I am not at all 
lonely, and you need not have troubled 
yourself.” 

“I didn’t care for the walk anyway. 
Have a cigar?” 

^^No, thanks.” 

^‘1 think I’ll light up. When do you 
sail for Hong Kong ? ” 

In three days, I believe.” 

The surgeon of the thinks you 

ought to go back to the States on account 
of your eyes.” 


HONOLULU. 


189 


That was not his advice to me.” 

Likely enough. Those fellows like to 
order what they think will please the 
patient.” And after a pause, he continued, 
That Mrs. Bates is a fine woman.” 

She would no doubt be pleased to 
know your opinion of her.” 

Long a widow ? ” 

Several years.” 

Is she well off ? ” 

I can't tell you. Are you interested in 
her circumstances ? ” 

Not specially, but a nice woman like 
that ought not to have to work.” 

Perhaps she prefers to do so.” 

I suppose you got pretty well ac- 
quainted with her on board ship.” 

Tolerably.” 

Fairly well educated, isn’t she ? ” 

I should think she was very well edu- 
cated.” 

^^Have you any notion of marrying 
her?” 


190 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

Have you any notion that it is none of 
your business whether I have or not ? ” 

Now don’t get riled at a fair question. 
You needn’t answer if you don’t like. If 
you are engaged to her I imagine you 
wouldn’t be ashamed to say so, but if 
you’re not, and I take a fancy to her, I 
suppose the game is open to me as well 
as anybody else.” 

Then it is only fair to say that Mrs. 
Bates is not engaged to me. If I decline 
to say any more it is simply because it is a 
matter that does not concern you.” 

That’s square. It don’t concern me 
that you should be after her, if you don’t 
get her.” 

I did not say I was after her.” 

^^You didn’t deny it, either, so I thought 
perhaps you were. But after her or not, if 
you are not engaged to her, I consider 
myself at liberty to try my chances if I 
like. I think she’s a fine woman, and will 
suit me.” 


HONOLULU. 


191 


^^Have you any reason to think she 
favors you ? asked Jerves, in whom a 
very little anxiety smothered a good deal 
of indignation. 

I wouldn’t say I have. Shouldn’t say 
whether I had or not. But I can offer her 
a tip-top position, with fifty thousand dol- 
lars a year, and women rather like that 
sort of thing. I don’t believe in love and 
all that stuff, and she ought to have got 
over believing in it by this time. If she 
hasn’t, she won’t want me, and I don’t 
want her either. Fifty thousand dollars a 
year is worth more to a woman than all 
the love that ever was made.” 

The coarseness of all this annoyed 
Jerves more than he would have been will- 
ing to show, and he only said, 

“The lady may not agree with your 
views.” 

“ Perhaps not,” replied the other, “ hut I 
am going to find out ” ; and he laughed as 
he added, “under the circumstances, I 


192 CBUISE OF A WOMAF' RATFB. 

sha’n’t expect any very hearty congratula- 
tions from you if I succeed ; but I shall not 
ask any sympathy if I don’t.” He started 
to where he saw Mrs. Bates sitting under a 
tree, while the others were buying cocoa- 
nut cups and grass cloth from the natives. 

If he desired to worry Jerves, he had’ 
most certainly succeeded. Jerves had 
never regretted his blindness more than 
now, when it made him feel unable to 
stand up and pick a quarrel with the fel- 
low, and give or get a thrashing. He 
could not quarrel very much on what had 
been said. The tone was offensive enough, 
but there was not much to get up a per- 
sonal quarrel on. The man had asked im- 
pertinent questions, but he had given short 
or impertinent answers. He had thought 
to buy Mrs. Bates with his dollars, and 
Jerves could not say he had no right to 
try. He had scoffed at woman’s love ; but 
so had he done himself. He might have 
said he had no intention of marrying Mrs. 


HONOLULU. 


193 


Bates, — his blindness would effectually pre- 
vent his asking her now, if he had ever 
been inclined to ; — but he wished he had 
some right to keep such fellows as this 
away from her. He had no idea she would 
accept him. Some women, perhaps many 
women, would, but he thought she would 
require something more than mines and 
ranches. But it came over him bitterly 
that he had been deceived twice already, 
and it was barely possible he might be 
again. The idea was rejected indignantly, 
and he felt ashamed it should ever have 
occurred to him. 


CHAPTER XIII. 


MR. Colorado’s views, and how they 

WERE RECEIVED. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Colorado (or Mr. Dul- 
cifer) was making his way to where Mrs. 
Bates was sitting. She received him with 
her usual calm politeness, and asked him 
to sit down, with a view to keeping him 
away from the captain and his wife, and 
having no presentiment of his purpose in 
coming to her. She commenced and kept 
up a lively conversation that helped some- 
what to put him at his ease, but brought 
him no nearer to the point he desired to 
reach. He tried hard to get there, but the 
way was difficult and led him all round by 
Bermuda and Cape Horn and Hong Kong, 
and back via San Francisco to New York, 
before he came anywhere near it. He got 
West again as far as Colorado, after a 
194 


MR. COLORADO'S VIEWS. 195 

while. From there he could take the lead 
himself, and he roamed about among his 
ranches and mines by a variety of roads, 
that might be indirect, but which, he 
thought, all tended in the right direction. 

It was some time before it occurred to 
her to suspect what the man was driving 
at, but it suddenly did come into her head, 
and, though she was a little startled, with 
a bit of malice she kept him on. 

But the road to his intended proposal 
was still crooked, apd a good deal up hill, 
and he found he must take a short cut if 
he expected to reach it that day, and, in 
spite of all Jerves had said, he thought de- 
lays might be dangerous. So he started 
by expatiating on the delightful climate of 
Colorado, comparing it favorably even with 
the delicious air of Oahu ; on its wonderful 
resources, and the hospitality of its people, 
and its opportunities for social and political 
distinction. 

‘^With all your silver and cattle, you 


196 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

must be enormously rich yourself/’ said 
Mrs. Bates. 

^‘1 count I am fairly well off. There 
are a few ahead of me, but not many; 
and I reckon that in a few years if I keep 
on I can top any of them.” 

wonder you don’t go into political 
life. With all your talent and money and 
ambition you ought to succeed.” 

I don’t know that I sh’an’t some day. 
I’ve got money enough for it, if I take a 
notion that way.” 

I have always understood that the rich 
men carried the elections in your State.” 

So they do generally, especially if they 
have great houses, and cut a swell, and en- 
tertain company, and all that sort of thing, 
and make themselves popular.” 

You might readily do all that.” 

I might, only, you see, I haven’t any 
wife.” 

^^If that is all, you could easily get a 
wife. You should go east and find one.” 


MB. COLOBADO'S VIEWS. 197 

isn’t every one that would suit me. 
I should want one smart enough, and good- 
looking enough, and well educated enough, 
to carry her head a little above the rest of 
them. I think I see a woman now that 
could do it. How would you like living in 
Colorado yourself ? ” 

I don’t know Colorado, but I suppose 
if my interests and affections were there, I 
could endure it.” 

She knew well enough now what had 
brought him to her tree, and, having no 
consideration for the man, and thinking he 
had no feelings to be hurt, she was not 
much more annoyed than she was amused, 
and she resolved to let him go on. She 
saw the captain and his wife approaching, 
and having the most thorough confidence 
in their discretion, she managed to get a 
little behind Mr. Colorado, and waved them 
a signal to keep away. The captain’s wife 
saw it, and passed it along to her husband, 
who instantly set the boys to skipping 


198 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

pebbles, and be upset their basket of 
shells, and helped them pick them up, 
and then upset it again. When this was 
done, he thought the boys must be hungry 
again, for it was nearly an hour since they 
had eaten much of anything, and he set 
some of the natives to procuring cocoanuts. 
The boys were rather surprised, for their 
father usually took more pains to persuade 
them that they were not hungry, than that 
they were. 

Mr. Colorado, having got started, went 
on. If you think you could endure it, I 
would like to have you try it. I want a 
wife, and I am sure you would make me a 
good one, and I think I could be a very 
tolerable husband. I have never seen a 
woman I cared to ask to be my wife before, 
and perhaps I may not express myself just 
right about it, but if you will take me, I 
am sure I would do handsomely by you.” 

You surprise me very much, Mr. 
Dulcifer. I did not know that you wanted 


MR. COLORADO'S VIEWS. I99 

a wife, much less that you wanted me. I 
am only a poor widow, and — ” 

If you marry me, you won’t be poor, 
and you won’t be a widow.” 

had no idea you cared for me at 

all.” 

On the contrary, I think you would 
suit me perfectly. You are good-looking 
enough, and accomplished enough, and 
smart enough, to fill any position, and I 
could give you a good one.” 

That ought to be a temptation,” 

I hope so. And I could settle twenty 
thousand dollars a year on you.” 

So much as that ? ” 

Yes, or even more — and I can give 
you the finest establishment in Denver, and 
the best horses and carriages, and the 
handsomest diamonds, and — and — what- 
ever you like.” 

Are you sure you mean all that ? The 
offer almost makes me giddy.” 

Yes, and more yet. You and I to- 


200 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

gether could lead the society of the state. 
In two years I could be governor.’’ 

That would be a high position, Mr. 
Dulcifer, for a poor widow, to become a 
governor’s wife. I am afraid it would be 
too much for me. I am not ambitious.” 

Not at all. You would become ambi- 
tious, with such chances before you. And 
you would know how to carry yourself. 
Then in a couple of years more I might 
get to Washington. I don’t imagine there 
would be many there that could outswim 
me. I want my wife to be at the top of 
the best society in the country.” 

You wish to have a wife that would do 
you credit.” 

To be sure I do. And I know you 
could fill the bill. Come, what do you 

Your proposal is so overwhelming, and 
so surprising, and so strange, I hardly 
know what I ought to say.” 

‘‘ Then say Yes, and seal the bargain.” 
And he drew nearer to her. 


MR. COLORADO’S VIEWS. 201 

^^Not just yet. Suppose you recapitu- 
late your offers.’' 

Recapitulate ? ” To recapitulate in a 
case of this kind seemed a cold-blooded 
proceeding, and he had been quite wanned 
up before. I can’t recapitulate. There’s 
a splendid house, and horses, and dia- 
monds, and all that, and twenty thousand 
a year for yourself, and thirty more for the 
housekeeping, and balls, and parties, and 
such things, and the cream of society, and 
of everything that’s going. We can have 
a swell place at Newport, if you like, and 
trips to Europe, and everything you take 
a fancy to. We can afford it.” 

He was so excited and enthusiastic at 
the last that she almost regretted having 
allowed him to go so far, and was silent. 
He continued : Say Yes, will you ? You’ll 
make me a very happy man.” And he 
drew nearer again. 

I shall have to say No, Mr. Dulcifer.” 

^^Oh, you don’t mean that — don’t, don’t. 


202 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

Say Yes. I’ll do my best to make you 
happy.” 

I could not say Yes, Mr. Dulcifer.” 

“Don’t you think you could be happy 
with me ? ” 

“I don’t really think I could.” 

“ Think what I offer you.” 

“ I have thought of it sufficiently.” 

“ And can’t you say Yes to me ? ” 

“I cannot.” 

“Cannot I prevail on you to change 
your mind?!’ 

“It would be useless to try.” 

“ Is there no hope for me ? ” 

“ None whatever.” 

“Perhaps I haven’t spoken just right. 
I don’t know about such things. But I 
care more than you think about it. Don’t 
answer right away. Think it over. I’ll 
wait for you. You are the only woman 
I ever wanted to marry. It would be a 
good thing for both of us.” 

Again he was so earnest that she really 


MB. COLOBADO^S VIEWS. 203 

regretted having let him say so much. 
But she knew it was only his pride that 
would be wounded by a refusal, and it was 
a kind of pride she had no sympathy for. 
Perhaps a lesson might be good for him, 
and anyway he deserved one. She would 
have no mercy on him. The idea that he 
could buy any woman he chose ! It was 
too insulting. There were probably some 
he might buy with his houses and dia- 
monds; but he could not buy her. She 
would punish him relentlessly, so far as she 
could. 

As for him, he was not accustomed to 
defeat, and having determined to make her 
his wife if he could, he would not give it 
up until all chances were exhausted. In- 
deed, the difficulty, as usual, only stimu- 
lated him. He wanted an immediate 
acceptance if he could get it, but if he 
could not have that, he would take such 
chances as he could get. He was still 
afraid Jerves was in his way, and he was 


204 CRUISE OF A W03fAN HATER. 

not inclined to let her sail for Hong Kong 
until she had given him a different answer, 
if he could help it; but, if she did, he 
would follow her there, and try again. 
His voyage might be useless, but if that 
was the only chance he could get, that was 
the one he would take. Anyway, she 
would not sail for three days, and even in 
that time something might be done. He 
would not give her up yet. 

But he was doomed to have another 
blow. 

do not want any more time,’' said 
Mrs. Bates. ^^We should not suit each 
other, and my mind is quite made up al- 
ready.” 

Then I suppose I must go, if there is 
no chance of your changing it. I am 
very sorry. I hope you will allow me to 
see you again.” 

^^If you never recur to this subject, I 
shall not mention your proposition, except 
to my friends here, and should meet you, if 


MR. COLORADO'S VIEWS. 


205 


you came in my way, just as I should any 
chance acquaintance.” 

Good-bye. I wish you well. You 
have hurt me badly; but I will try not 
to annoy you.” 

He went towards the beach, but she was 
not quite done with him. 

^^Mr. Dulcifer, before you go, I should 
like to ask you one question.” 

Certainly.” 

I should like to know what put it into 
your head that I was for -sale ?” 

For sale, Mrs. Bates ? ” 

^^Yes, for sale. Did you not just now 
try to buy me ? ” 

Buy you ? I never thought of such a 
thing.” 

^^You offered me twenty thousand dol- 
lars a year, and a lot of diamonds and 
other things.” 

If you should be my wife, yes, but then 
it would be your husband that would give 
them to you.” 


206 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Or rather, if I would have you for my 
husband, those would be the inducements. 
What would you call that but buying ? If 
I had been a slave you might have traded 
with my master, but as I belong to myself 
you offered them to me. You wanted me 
to help your ambitious projects, and you 
promised me so much money if I would 
do it.” 

You forget the husband.” 

No, I don’t forget the husband, though 
there was very little husband and a good 
deal of money in your offer. If I wanted 
a husband at all, I should prefer more hus- 
band and less money. I want neither you 
nor your money.” 

It was clear enough now that he had no 
further chance, and that it would be in 
vain to follow her to Hong Kong, but he 
thought he would fire a parting shot. 

He was thoroughly angry. 

I offered you what women generally 
value most. If you don’t want it, then I 


MR. COLORADO'S VIEWS. 207 

have nothing more to say. If you still have 
foolish notions about love and devotion 
you’ll get over them. I thought you 
might have got over them already. Per- 
haps the man you take for a husband will 
talk more about them than I do, and not 
give any more of them, either; and per- 
haps he’ll fool you, and you him, more 
than I should you, or you me. I hope he 
won’t beat you before you have been mar- 
ried a year.” 

He raised his hat ceremoniously, and 
departed. 

That last shot in fact was an ugly one, 
and most heartily did she wish she had not 
recalled him. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


MRS. BATES TELLS ALL ABOUT IT. 

Mr. Colorado had got his information 
out of Bows, for he had not disdained to 
take advantage of Bows’s weakness. Up 
to a certain point Bows was loquacious, but 
beyond that he got ugly, and when he be- 
gan to suspect that he was being treated in 
order that he might be pumped, his ugly 
temper came promptly to the front, and 
Mr. Colorado heard some extremely unpleas- 
ant language, and only narrowly escaped 
consequences that would have been to him 
still more unpleasant. The shock to 
Bows, when he realized the attempt that 
had been made on him, was so great that 
he went on board the ship quite early in 
the evening, and, at least, half sober. 

Bows had got his information, which 
was not much, out of Rollins, who had 


MRS. BATES TELLS ALL ABOUT IT. 209 

known Mrs. Bates’s husband quite well, 
as they had been school-fellows together. 
He and Bows had been having quite a 
long confab on deck one afternoon in the 
dog-watches, and they had spoken of their 
concerts and of Mrs. Bates’s singing, and 
so they spoke of her and where she came 
from, and then of her husband. 

Yes, sir,” said Rollins, Charlie Bates 
was a tip-top fellow till the drink got 
hold of him, and then he was the 
devil. One night — I don’t think they 
had been married a year — a lot of 
blackguards got him drunk, and he 
went home and smashed things to pieces, 
and when she tried to get him to bed 
he slapped her face and then knocked 
her down. I reckon I remember about 
that, for I undertook to talk to the leader 
of the gang the next day, and he didn’t 
take it kindly, so I gave him a jolly good 
licking, and the judge — he was a great 
friend of mine, was the judge — he fined 


210 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

me five dollars at the police court. I 
went to see him afterwards, and told him 
if he would agree not to charge me more 
than ten the next time I’d like to do it 
again, but the judge wouldn’t commute. 
The boys wanted to pass round the hat so 
they could all chip in to pay the fine, hut 
I wouldn’t let ’em. I told them to save 
their money for the next time, because if 
the fellow didn’t leave town he’d get 
another pounding, and the judge would 
have to put it on to me heavier. The 
chap cleared out, but she never knew 
what made him. I always call to see 
that judge when I am home. He’s told 
me many a time that he cheated the city 
out of twenty dollars that day, because he 
ought to have made me pay twenty-five 
and didn’t. We couldn’t keep Charlie 
from going down hill, though. Once he 
got the drink in him there was no stop- 
ping him. I think we were all rather glad 
for her sake when he died.” 


MRS. BATES TELLS ALL ABOUT IT. 211 

‘^Bad thing that drink. I wish they 
wouldn’t make any more of it/’ said Bows, 
as he turned away in response to a rather 
sharp What’s the matter with that 
weather fore-sheet, Mr. Bows?” from the 
captain. 

It would, no doubt, have been better for 
Mr. Bows if no more drink were made, but 
he would have been very sorry if he had 
thought his wish was likely to be fulfilled. 

So this was all he knew about Mrs. 
Bates’s husband, and all he could tell Mr. 
Colorado, when that gentleman tried first 
to fill and then to pump him, but it was 
enough to give weight to a nasty shot. 

She felt both angered and humiliated. 
Her anger at the mercantile nature of his 
proposal had tempted her to try to humili- 
ate him needlessly, and now she felt 
ashamed on every point. 

She was ashamed of her anger, ashamed 
at what it had prompted her to, ashamed 
of having talked so much with him. 


212 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

ashamed of having placed herself in a posi- 
tion to be so talked to. Her anger had led 
her to try to obtain a mean and unworthy 
triumph, and she had succeeded, but felt 
none the better for it. His last remark 
showed the meanness of the man, but that 
did not console her at all. 

Meanwhile Mr. Colorado pursued his 
way to the shore, and the way led him past 
where Jerves had been lying, and, to tell 
the truth, after a pipe and a disagreeable 
half-hour of meditation, had been enjoying 
a nap. He was awake when Colorado 
came up, and, recognizing his step, ac- 
costed him with, ^^Well, what luck?'’ 

^^None at all. Our views don't agree. 
I'll leave her to somebody else. She wants 
some ^ love-in-a-cottage ' chap. I’ll be 
away before you get back. Good-bye." 

“ Good-bye. I wish you a pleasant voy- 
age." 

Mr. Colorado was angry and ashamed as 
well as Mrs. Bates, but he was angry at 


MRS. BATES TELLS ALL ABOUT IT. 213 

himself for having made such a mistake as 
to put the money before the husband, 
when he might just as easily have done the 
other way. He was not so much angry 
with Mrs. Bates. Considering how he had 
blundered, he rather admired her spirit in 
attacking him. He was ashamed of him- 
self for having made the mean speech he 
did at the last. He had been very angry, 
and had violated one of his cardinal prin- 
ciples, which was to keep cool himself and 
let other people get angry. He had 
thrown away all his chances that time, 
surely. He hurried back to his boat, and 
was rowed rapidly away. He would still 
keep track of her though, just out of curi- 
osity. He wondered whether there was 
anything between her and Jerves after all. 
He could not see anything that helped him 
to form any opinion. 

As soon as they saw him go away, the 
captain and his wife came up to Mrs. 
Bates. They were full of excitement, and 


214 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

the captain’s wife was for having explana- 
tions and details on the spot ; but Mrs. 
Bates told her she must ask no questions, 
and she should hear all that was necessary 
later. The captain was the most excited, 
and shook both her hands, and kissed her, 
and his wife excused him. 

By Jove ! It did me good to see the 
fellow go off as if he had had a thrashing. 
I hope you gave it to him well. The idea 
that a fellow like that should think of 
marrying our Helen ! I don’t see, though, 
how it took you so long to do it. I 
thought you’d dispose of him in about half 
a minute.” 

That question of time was just a sore 
point with Mrs. Bates. 

Now, captain, please be quiet. I see I 
- shall have to tell you all about it, and it 
isn’t to my credit. Let’s go now.” 

They went to the beach, and all were 
gay but Mrs. Bates, and when they joined 
Jerves, Colorado was not mentioned. 


MRS. BATES TELLS ALL ABOUT IT. 215 

In the evening, the three had a long 
talk, as they sat on the piazza of the 
hotel. 

Now, dear, begin at the beginning, and 
tell us all about it. I have waited about 
as long as I could with any pretence of 
patience.’' 

And I have waited as long as I can, 
without any pretence,” added the captain. 

I wish I didn’t have to tell you. I 
wasn’t a bit nice.” 

Isn’t the rest going to be any truer 
than that ? ” 

“ Never mind whether you were nice or 
not ; tell us about it,” said Mrs. Bluson. 

He wanted me to go and live in Den- 
ver, and help him spend his money, and I 
told him I didn’t want to.” 

That wasn’t all ? ” 

No. He wants to go to Congress.” 

Did he ask you to stump the state for 
him? There are too many of his sort 
there now.” 


216 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

“ He thought a wife would help him to 
get there.’' 

That didn’t tempt you at all, did it, 
dear?” 

No.” 

^^Was that all you had to tell him all 
that time I was stuffing those boys full of 
cocoanuts ? ” 

‘‘ No, for I got angry.” 

^‘I’m glad of it.” 

I am not. I was very rude.” 

^^Gave him Hail Columbia for his pre- 
sumption, did you? Served him right.” 

^^No. But he seemed to think any 
woman would be glad to marry him for 
the sake of his great house, and horses, 
and diamonds, and fifty thousand dollars 
a year to spend, and all that. That is 
what made me angry.” 

Was that all he had to offer ? ” 

Pretty nearly.” 

Didn’t he say how he had been dead in 
love with you from the first moment he 


MBS. BATES TELLS ALL ABOUT IT. 217 

saw you, and that his life would be a bur- 
den to him if you wouldn’t have him?” 

I don’t think he did.” 

^^Nor that you were the sweetest and 
most angelic of your sex, and that your 
eyes were stars of heaven, and your lips 
were crimson flowers.” 

Nothing of the kind. I think he had 
some sense.” 

^^He don’t know anything at all about 
love-making. That is the way I had to 
talk when I went courting.” 

You were a great goose, I confess ; but 
I don’t remember hearing anything of that 
sort, I am happy to say,” remarked Mrs. 
Bluson. 

Perhaps I didn’t say it right out loud, 
but only thought it, and wanted to say it.” 

^^If you thought it, you were awfully 
mistaken, weren’t you?” 

Well, 'just a little, perhaps. Not so 
much as some people.” 

Never mind his nonsense, Helen. He 


218 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

isn't SO foolish as he pretends. Tell us the 
rest of your story." 

There is nothing more to tell." 

‘^You needn’t tell any more. So long 
as you said No, that’s enough. Though, 
if those boys have an indigestion to-mor- 
row, and are cross, you’ll wish you hadn’t 
been so long about it." 

^^You haven’t told us half yet," said 
the captain’s wife, whose feminine curios- 
ity wanted to have a verbatim report. 

‘‘I understand it all," said the captain. 
‘‘ He thought Helen was going to be so 
pleased with all that money, and position, 
and so forth, that she would throw her 
arms right round his neck. She told 
him she wasn’t up at auction, and then 
she gave him a jolly good rating for 
thinking she was. Wasn’t it about so, 
Helen?" 

Your description is not very elegant ; 
but I think your ideas are not far out of 
the way. I don’t want to talk any more 


Mliti. BATES TELLS ALL ABOUT IT. 219 

about it. I was terribly rude. You would 
be ashamed of me.’' 

“Not a bit of it. You did just right. 
Rude to a rhinoceros ! ” 

“ Of course you did right/’ said the cap- 
tain’s wife. But Mrs. Bates was not ex- 
actly of that opinion. “ And there’s poor 
Jerves, left alone all this time,” she contin- 
ued, “ and we seem to have left him alone 
all day. Let’s go and talk to him.” 

“ But you won’t tell him anything about 
this, will you ? ” asked Mrs. Bates, a little 
nervously. 

“We shall have to let him know Mr. 
Colorado proposed, and was refused.” 

“He must know that already. I saw 
them talking together. There’s no need 
to say anything about it.” 

“We won’t mention it; and Jerves 
won’t ask impertinent questions,” said the 
captain. 

They went and joined Jerves, who had 
been sitting tilted back in his chair, with 


220 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

his feet on another, more d VAmericaine 
than was usual with him. Of €ourse, he 
knew that Colorado had received his conge, 
and he would like to know just how it had 
been done, and wondered how much they 
would tell him. Colorado had said she 
wanted some love-in-a-cottage ” chap, and 
he was not certain whether he had meant 
some particular chap or not. He did not 
think there was any particular chap ; if 
there had been he would probably have 
had some intimation of it. Anyway, 
she was not likely to have made Mr. 
Colorado her confidant; so he concluded 
there was not. It would not make any 
difference to him; but he would still like 
to know. 

Then Rollins and Bows came in. The 
Ajax had finished discharging her Hono- 
lulu cargo, and, being almost ready for sea 
again, Rollins had taken Bows in charge 
for a run ashore, hoping to get* him on 
board again in a seaworthy condition. 


MBS. BATES TELLS ALL ABOUT IT. 221 

They talked, and laughed, and told stories ; 
and Jerves had not been half as lonely as 
the captain s wife had imagined. Bows’s 
sea-stories were inimitable and innumer- 
able. 


CHAPTER XV. 


NEWS FROM HOME. 

When these went, and the others came, 
there was no reference made to Colorado, 
but Jerves found Mrs. Bates somewhat 
agitated, as might reasonably be expected. 

Two days later the Ajax was ready, and 
again anchored in the outer harbor. In the 
evening they all went on board, and were 
heartily welcomed by all hands, from 
Rollins to the Hawaian cabin-boy that 
Jerves had engaged especially to wait on 
him. This boy’s duties proved light, and 
Mrs. Bates found him more in the way 
than any thing else. 

At sunrise all were on deck for the start, 
and the anchor was short,” when Mr. 
Bows, who was standing near Jerves, 
descried a thin line of black smoke in the 
222 


NEWS FROM HOME. 


223 


distance, and remarked to Jerves There’s 
the mail steamer from ’Frisco, I reckon.” 

^^Isit? Then hold on. We must have 
our letters and papers,” and Jerves sent his 
boy in haste to the captain, who happened 
to be below, and who was much surprised 
at Jerves’s sudden anxiety for news. Be- 
fore that, he had not seemed to care very 
much for letters, and as for newspapers, he 
only asked some one to read the head lines, 
the ship-news, and two or three stock 
reports to him. The captain thought it 
rather strange, too, that he should ask 
Bows or some stranger to read his letters 
to him instead of himself or one of the 
ladies. He had begun to question whether 
Jerves had not some troublesome secret 
that he did not wish them to know about. 
It did not appear to be anything of that 
kind, either, for he showed nothing like 
anxiety about them either before they 
were read or after. When he had in- 
quired if the Galatea had arrived, he 


224 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

showed very little interest in news any- 
way. 

The captain was in hopes the steamer 
would arrive before his departure, but, as 
he was ready to sail did not like to delay. 
Now that she was at hand he was willing 
enough to wait a little, and, when in an 
hour or two the steamer had passed in, he 
sent Rollins ashore for their mail. Rollins 
soon returned with a batch of letters and 
papers. “ One for you, sir,” to the captain, 
“ two for Mr. Jerves, three for Mrs. Bates, 
one for me, one for Mr. Bows, and two for 
forward. That’s all, sir. That Galatea 
has arrived in New York, sir. Had a 
long passage.” 

Now Jerves was all attention. He took 
his letters, but showed no impatience to 
have them read to him, but rather listened 
to what Mrs. Bates might say. Three 
letters for me? Oh, that’s delightful, 
unless there’s bad news. Let me have 
them, quick.” She looked at the hand- 


NEWS FROM HOME. 


225 


writing of the addresses, and opened the 
last one she came to first. She had not 
read very far before she cried out,x Oh, 
Carrie, Carrie, see what some one has done 
for me ! ” and she handed a letter to her 
friend. There were tears in her voice, but 
not tears of sorrow, and Jerves was satis- 
fied. The sight of her face when she read 
her letters, that he had thought so much 
about when he sent his, was denied him; 
but, on the other hand, the bandage cov- 
ered so much of his face that there was no 
danger it would betray him. The cap- 
tain’s wife . read the letter, and then 
crossed the deck, took the small head in 
her arms, pressed it to her heart, and the 
two friends had a good cry together. Then 
they read the rest. 

It was from Jere Haskins, and said : — 
The Trust Company’s letter that I en- 
close will tell you of the good fortune that 
has happened to little Helen. Of course 
you cannot know anything about it, and 


226 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

there seems to be some mystery about 
it. I thought you would want me to 
ascertain who gave the money if I could, 
because it might come from somebody 
you would not want to take it from. I 
went to the Trust Company, and they said 
they did not know who gave it, or any- 
thing about it, except that they were to- 
pay the money. I asked so many ques- 
tions that they finally gave me the name 
of the lawyer, who, they said, drew the 
‘ trust deed.’ He would not tell me 
much, and said the name of his client was 
a professional secret, and beyond that he 
had nothing more to do with the matter. 
The money was to be paid to me while I 
acted as Helen’s guardian, and if she mar- 
ried she was to have the principal, and if 
she died it was to go to her mother. If I 
did not take it the Trust Company would 
keep it. The giver himself could not 
get it back again. There was nothing 
for me to do but to use it as directed. I 


NEWS FROM HOME. 


227 


need have no scruples, nor need her 
mother. It was ^ clean' money. It did 
not come from any of those who led poor 
Charlie astray. He said that so long as 
Helen was with me I should receive pay- 
ment for taking care of her, and I told 
him I didn’t want any pay. He said that 
was none of his business ; I could do as I 
liked, if I could afford it. He is a nice, 
tall, thin-faced, clean-shaved old gentleman, 
with long white hands, and when he begins 
to talk he puts the tips of his fingers to- 
gether in a curious way. When I had got 
through talking, and was ready to go, he 
began asking me questions. He made me 
tell nearly everything I knew, all about 
Helen, and about myself, and about you. 
I don’t know how he did it, but he asked 
such questions I couldn’t help answering. 
He asked about my wife, and I told him 
about her; and he made me tell how I lost 
my ship, and somehow he managed to get 
everything out of me. I told him I might 


228 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

have gone second mate on the ship you 
are on, — Rollins wanted me to, — and he 
asked if there were any other passengers, 
and I said none that I knew of. He said 
he had seen an account of the Ajax pick- 
ing up a wreck with yellow fever on board, 
and towing her to Bermuda. He said 
those men who went on the wreck were 
brave fellows. Then I told him about 
Rollins, and he made me give him his 
name, and wrote it down. Then we 
talked about everything, and I had to 
tell him how we ran past the batteries at 
Vicksburg in ’63, — Rollins and me ; and he 
said Rollins ought to have a medal. I 
told him how your two brothers died at 
Fredericksburg, and he said his only son 
was killed at Gettysburg. He was very 
kind and good, but I never saw such a 
man to make people talk. He kept me 
more than two hours, and then his car- 
riage came to take him home, and he made 
me get in with him. He pretended he 


NEWS FROM HOME. 


229 


wanted to get some things to send to a 
friend in the country, and he wished I 
would help him select them, and he drove 
to a great store, and picked out a lot of 
useful things, and I helped him as well as 
I could. Then he shook hands with me, 
and asked if he might come and see us 
when he went to the mountains in the 
summer. So I came home again. The 
next day the stage brought a great parcel 
addressed to Margaret, and inside was this 
note : Please accept these from an old 

man whose only son died with your 
brother at Gettysburg.’’ Then I remem- 
bered the name of poor Frank’s captain, 
and how the old lawyer looked when I 
told him that Margaret’s brother was 
killed at Gettysburg, too.” 

There was a great deal more in the 
letter, and when it was read, Mrs. Bates 
went to her room. An hour later when 
she returned to the deck there were no 
tears in eyes or voice, though she stood a 


230 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

long time leaning against the after-mizzen 
mast, looking eastward. 

Bows read Jerves’s letters to him. 
They merely said his instructions had 
been carried out. This, with Mrs. Bates’s 
cry to the captain’s wife was enough for 
his reveries, as he lay back idle in his 
chair. He did not even care to smoke. 
By and by Mrs. Bates came to him and 
said, Oh, Mr. Jerves, you ought to know 
what a great thing some one has done for 
me. I don’t know who it is, but may God 
bless him forever. May I read you two 
letters? I cannot keep my happiness to 
myself.” 

Again Jerves was almost glad of the 
bandages over his eyes, and he had to 
make a considerable e:ffort to keep his 
voice steady enough to answer, Certainly, 
I shall be very glad.” 

She read the Trust Company’s letter 
first. It was nearly a copy of the draft 
he had sent. Only think of it ! Fifty 


NEWS FROM HOME. 


231 


dollars a month to my little girl ! I can’t 
think who sends it. I wonder if he knows 
what it means. Why, it means food and 
clothes and books and schools; if she has 
health, it means everything that she needs. 
And to me it means, oh, so much! I 
cannot begin to tell you what it means. 
I suppose to you, who are rich, it seems 
little, but to me it is a great deal.” 

Have you no idea from whom it 
comes?” he ventured at length to ask. 

None, and since Jere says I may take 
it without scruple, and it is what he calls 
^ clean’ money, I am not sure that I 
ought to try to find out. What do you 
think ? ” 

It seems to me you should not try, 
since the giver wishes to remain un- 
known.” 

I am glad you think so. I suppose it 
comes from some old friend of my father. 
I don’t think I know any one rich enough 
to do such a thing, but somebody has 


232 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

done it. I hope it is right for me to 
take it.’' 

It would seem useless to refuse it, 
under the circumstances.” 

Then she read Jere’s letter to him. 

“ Isn’t Jere a splendid fellow ? See how 
he gives the credit for everything to some- 
body else, when everybody knows he is the 
bravest man that ever lived, and the 
kindest heart. He knew I would not want 
to take the money if it wasn’t ^ clean.’ 
And how quickly the old lawyer found 
him out. I am too happy to-day. » I hope 
it is not wrong to be so happy. And 
there’s Margaret, too ! the sweetest wife 
ever any man had. Think of her delight ! 
What kind people there are in the world ! 
I wonder if that man will ever know all 
the happiness he has caused. But he’s 
sure to know it some time.” 

If he knows, he will be no less happy 
than you, I am sure. I am glad myself to 
know of so much happiness. I congratu- 


NEWS FROM HOME- 


233 


late you with all my heart/’ and he held 
out his hand to her. It was steady now, 
but he felt that hers trembled. 

Thank you. Thank you.” She went 
away to tell Rollins about it. Rollins was 
Jere’s friend, and had seen Helen. It was 
right he should know about it. Mr. 
Rollins heard the Trust Company’s letter, 
and gave a long whistle. By Jove, that 
fellow’s a trump.” Have you any idea 
who it could be ? ” she asked. I don’t 
know anything about it,” he replied, 
though somehow a sudden recollection of 
the evening when he had walked and 
talked with Jerves on the deck, had 
flashed over him, and he remembered the 
letters sent by the Galatea. I don’t 
know anything about it, but I am mighty 
glad of it. Please excuse me a minute.” 

He went forward, in a great hurry, to 
berate the carpenter for some work done 
awkwardly two days before, and came 
back shortly, quite composed. Now, let 


234 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

me hear Jere’s letter/’ and she read it to 
him. Jere’s a fine fellow. That battery 
business was all his, though. I didn’t 
have much to do with it. That old law- 
yer saw through him, though, didn’t he ? 
And wasn’t it handsome of him to send 
the things to Jere’s wife?” 

Kollins went to his duty, and the Ajax 
moved away under the gentle breeze. 
There were happy hearts on board that 
day, but whether Mrs. Bates or Jerves was 
the happier, it would be hard to tell. 
They all sat on deck till very late that 
night, singing, and talking of home. 
Even the boys were not put to bed till 
Bobby fell asleep in his mother’s lap, and 
Harry on the deck at Mrs. Bates’s feet. 


CHAPTER XVI. 


LIGHT. 

The next day was Sunday. Jerves 
came out of his room with his young 
valet, and inquired anxiously for Mrs. 
Bluson. She had not yet appeared, at 
which he was disappointed. Mrs. Bates 
was on deck, and, noticing his agitation, 
inquired, What is it, Mr. Jerves ? Is 
there anything I can do for you ? ’’ 

Nothing, thank you, only — may I sit 
near you ? ” 

She rose, and gave him her chair. 

^‘1 want to tell you something. I was 
going to tell Mrs. Bluson first ; but I must 
tell somebody. Last night, when I was 
lying in my berth, my bandage annoyed 
me, and I took it off. I kept my eyes 
closed, as I always do, and fell asleep. 

236 


236 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

I don’t know how long I slept ; but when 
I awoke I opened my eyes unconsciously — 
and — and — I could see a little! And 
without pain 1 There was not much light ; 
but I could distinguish objects in the room. 
When the light grew strong enough to 
hurt me, I replaced the bandage. Can it 
be that my sight is coming again ? ” 

She took one of his hands between both 
of hers, and raised it high, as if in thanks- 
giving. 

Oh, I hope so ! I believe so 1 It must 
be so ! What a joy 1 What a joy ! 
What a happy ship this will be to-day ! 
Let me call the captain and Carrie.” 

She ran to the companion-way, and 
called, Robert, Carrie, Mr. Jerves wants 
you both up here. Come right away.” 

The tone of voice did not alarm them ; 
but they came quickly. Mrs. Bates, how- 
ever, was not with them. She had slipped 
quietly to her room, feeling a tumult of 
emotions too great for control. She was 


LIGHT. 


237 


very happy yesterday; but the happiness 
of to-day was even greater — and that, 
she knew, ought not to be. She tried, 
as it were to find excuses for it. Little 
Helen was far away, and Jerves was here 
before her. She was too young to realize 
her good-fortune; and Jerves had known 
the blessing he had lost. Lack of money 
was nothing to the loss of sight. These 
were poor reasons, after all. There was 
another greater than these, and she felt 
herself blushing all over, as at length she 
realized it. She loved that man. Again 
and again and again she refused to admit 
it, and again and again she was obliged 
to confess in her heart that it was true. 
There was pleasure mingled with the pain 
with which she gave up the attempt to 
deny it. 

Then came over her a feeling of shame 
at having given it where it had not been 
asked. He had never given sign by word 
or look that he preferred her to any other 


238 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

woman. Indeed, he had spoken lightly of 
all women, and said he wanted nothing to 
do with any. He had always been kind 
and polite to her, very kind and very 
thoughtful. That was his nature. He 
would not be unkind to any one. She 
could not say that he had ever been any- 
thing more than kind and polite; but 
there was, she thought, more than ordi- 
nary gentleness about his kindness, and 
thoughtfulness about his politeness. Still, 
she knew her love was not returned, and 
that she must hide and stifle it. A few 
days more, and their voyage would be 
over. They would go their separate ways ; 
probably would never meet again. When 
the bell rang for service, she bathed her 
face, and dried her eyes ; and looked over 
her prayer-book for a Thanksgiving for 
Unexpected Mercies,” and, finding none, 
extemporized one for herself, and came out 
as calm as usual. 

Jerves had told the captain and his wife, 


LIGHT. 


239 


and there had been great rejoicing. The 
captain slapped him on the back, and gave 
three cheers, to Bows’s great astonishment; 
and his wife had taken both Jerves’s hands, 
and shaken them well, and adjusted his 
bandages with even greater nicety than 
usual ; and told hkn over and over again 
how careful he must be. To-morrow she 
would have goggles made of wire, and 
would cover them with black muslin, and 
he should have a black shade, and a green 
one to wear as his eyes became stronger. 
Altogether the little woman was in a state 
of great excitement; while her husband 
walked back and forth, stopping at every 
turn to put his hands on their shoulders, 
and say he hadn’t heard any such good 
news in a year. 

Jerves missed Mrs. Bates’s voice and 
presence ; but remembered clearly how she 
had taken his hand in hers, and thought 
he could imagine how she looked when she 
did it. When the others went away, he 


240 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

missed her the more. She had got into 
the habit of sitting somewhere near him, 
when she was reading or sewing, and, 
though neither might speak, he liked to 
hear the rustle of her dress occasionally. 

He thought now of Dulcifer, and won- 
dered what kind of a life she would have 
led if she had married him. And then he 
thought, as he had so often before, how 
different life would have been for him if he 
had met her, or one like her, ten, or even 
five years ago. He went over the same 
ground as before, and came to the same 
conclusion. It was too late. Besides, he 
doubted whether he could make her hap- 
pier than she was now. 

He might regain his sight, but not his 
lost years. He would never marry. He 
had said it was only necessary to keep 
away from women to avoid marrying 
them, and it seemed the easiest thing in 
the world to do. It was not easy on ship- 
board to keep away from her; but he 


LIGHT, 241 

would do it. He did not think he had 
ever been more than polite to her, and he 
would try to be less than polite hereafter. 
It would be only a few days more, anyway. 
From Hong Kong she would go east, and, 
if his eyes improved, he would go westward 
round the world. He did try, and par- 
tially succeeded, though it was harder 
than he thought. It was hard to forbear 
politeness, almost to rudeness, when every 
impulse of his heart was towards regard 
and tenderness. 

She aided him somewhat, for her reserve 
equalled his. She no longer gave him her 
arm for a walk on the deck, or her hand to 
lead him down the companion-way. She 
read no more books to him, and, though 
she made many sketches, her entries in the 
journal were short. This constraint in 
their relations, formerly so free, open, and 
unembarrassed, attracted the attention of 
the captain, and mystified him exceedingly ; 
and he found no answer to the question he 


242 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER, 

SO often asked himself, as he walked the 
deck, What the deuce is the row ? ” 

His good wife was mystified, and cha- 
grined besides. Here were these two, who, 
she had vainly hoped, might somehow 
be brought together, going daily farther 
and farther apart. She really felt sorry 
for both — and angry with both as well. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


A PROPOSAL. 

The good ship kept on. Winds were 
light, but fair. They met no severe 
storms, and saw no more wrecks. Days 
passed without events of interest. Jerves’s 
eyes continued to grow stronger, and the 
goggles and shades took the place of ban- 
dages. He had already decided on keeping 
on westward, and looked over the maps 
with the captain. He would spend so 
much time in China, so much in India, so 
much in Japan. Then he would visit Per- 
sia, Afghanistan, Russia. He would take 
three years for it. Where would they all 
be in three years ? 

He talked more than usual of his plans 
one evening when they were all seated on 
the deck. 


243 


244 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

The captain brought it about by refer- 
ring some way to their first conversation 
about women and matrimony, and speculat- 
ing on what kind of a wife the authorities of 
‘^Jerves’.s friend’s” proposed establishment 
would select for Mr. Colorado. The captain 
and his wife constituted themselves an imag- 
inary committee to choose one for him, and 
the one they chose was not much like Mrs. 
Bates. Then they amused themselves by 
selecting one for Mr. Jerves, for they in- 
sisted that if the women must be married, 
whether they liked it or no, so must the 
men. The combination of qualities they 
gave this imaginary bride was in the end 
such an impossible one that Jerves accused 
them of arguing against their own prem- 
ises, since, if an impossible wife was the 
only suitable one for a man, it was clear 
he would not be obliged to have any. But 
Mrs. Bates reminded them that the ques- 
tions of temper and disposition were the 
only ones the authorities had to consider : 


A PBOPOSAL. 


245 


and that they might think best to give a 
mild and peaceable husband some furious 
vixen of a termagant for a wife. So the 
captain allotted Jerves one of that kind, 
just to see how he would like it, and they 
tried to picture the scenes that would take 
‘ place when he should attempt to adminis- 
ter necessary personal chastisement. Jer- 
ves thought he would get round that 
nicely, for, as he designed to spend three 
years in travel, all he would need do was 
to lock her up till he came back, which 
would be the most convenient arrangement 
in the world. This brought them round to 
talk of his plans and routes. 

Altogether, the discussion was lively and 
entertaining. Mrs. Bates was especially 
brilliant, and rather sarcastic, and spared 
Jerves not at all. The captain, however, 
went back to Mr. Colorado, and Jerves 
learned all he cared to know about that 
gentleman’s proposal, and how it was re- 
ceived. There was no stopping the cap- 


246 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

tain when he got started on that subject, 
though Mrs. Bates did her best to shut 
him up. 

wonder where we shall all be in a 
year from to-night,’^ said Mrs. Bluson, 
after an unusual period of silence. 

It would be hard telling,’’ replied her 
husband. may be in the president’s 
chair of the Lookout Insurance Company. 
I have more than half promised to take it 
when I get back. I don’t suppose I shall 
go to sea any more, unless I get very 
homesick.” 

I shall be teaching geography and 
spelling again, I hope. I think I may 
get my old place again. I am well enough 
to fill it now, and feel as if I should never 
be ill again.” 

good vacation you will have had, 
dear. And I am sure it will do you a 
great deal of good.” 

‘^Indeed it will. I never dreamed of 
having such a holiday as this. It has re- 


A PROPOSAL. 


247 


newed my life. But you deceived me a 
little, Carrie. You said I could be useful 
to you, and here I have done nothing but 
enjoy myself.” 

^^If you call cramming Harry full of 
multiplication-table, and worrying Bob 
with a-b abs, enjoying yourself, you must 
have had a first-rate time. I shouldn’t 
enjoy myself at it,” said the captain. 

Two hours a day five days in the 
week, from which the father generally 
excused them three, and their mother two. 
I haven’t found the teaching hard.” 

The boys have learned all the same. I 
don’t know how you managed it.” 

^^You have made them behave them- 
selves properly, and kept them from teas- 
ing the life out of me, anyway,” said Mrs. 
Bluson. I think that is enough.” 

^^You see, Helen, you have been alto- 
gether mistaken. You thought you were 
enjoying yourself, when you were only 
making other people happy.” 


248 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

am glad if I have done anything 
that way. It seems to me it cannot have 
been much.” 

think you have no occasion to re- 
proach yourself on that score, Mrs. Bates,” 
said Jerves. 

“ Thank you, Mr. Jerves. You have all 
been very kind to me.” 

That was a good deal for Jerves to say. 
Considering the feelings she knew he had 
when she came on board, it was a very 
great deal, and she did thank him in her 
heart. 

^^And when you get back, where will 
you spend the summer, captain?” asked 
Jerves. 

I don’t know. We’ll find a place 
somewhere for a few weeks. I shall have 
to be in New York in October if I go into 
the Lookout.” 

Why won’t you all go down to my 
place at Redbank. There’s a big house 
all ready for you, and quite at your ser- 


A PROPOSAL. 


249 


vice. There’s a farm, and a garden, and 
no end of fruits and vegetables; and no 
one to eat them. You are quite welcome.” 

There’s an offer for you, Carrie. What 
do you say to it ? ” 

Oh, ITl go fast enough, if Helen will 
come and keep house for me.” 

What do you say, Helen ? ” 

Oh, I must go to work. I mustn’t play 
any more. I must see about getting a 
school. You all know I have my living 
to earn when I get back.” 

What will you do if you can’t get your 
school again ?” 

Then ITl try music lessons.” 

“Never you mind the school. You go 
down there and help Carrie keep house. 
Harry and Bob will be school enough for 
you.” 

“I won’t have Helen helping me keep 
house. ITl help her if she likes. My 
housekeeping isn’t up to her standard, by 
a long way.” 


250 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Mrs. Bates wants a housekeeper’s 
position, I know of one for her, and rather 
a good one,” said Jerves. 

^^You?” 

Yes. I’ll give a good housekeeper five 
hundred dollars a year to keep Redbank 
open till I come back. She can have all 
that she wants from the farm and garden, 
and as many servants as she needs.” 

^^Keep Redbank open all the year round, 
Jerves?” 

^^Yes. Just as it was in my good old 
father’s time.” 

^^But, Mr. Jerves, you cannot want to 
pay all the expenses of a house that you 
never visit.” 

Indeed I do. It went to my heart to 
close it up; but I could not stay there 
quite alone all winter; and I had one 
housekeeper who lived in one room, kept 
no servants, and, if I sent any of my 
friends there, let them go away hungry. 
Then I had another who kept four ser- 


A PROPOSAL. 


251 


vants, and open house for all her family 
and acquaintance all the time. In my 
dear father’s time we always had a plate 
and a bed for any friend who might come, 
and I wish it could be so again. I will 
gladly give a housekeeper five hundred dol- 
lars a year.” 

There’s an offer for you, and a good 
one this time, Helen. It is not as large as 
Colorado’s ; but, except the horses, and the 
diamonds, and being a governor’s wife, and 
cutting a swell at Washington, I don’t 
know but it is just as good.” 

A great deal better, for you don’t have 
to take Mr. Colorado with it,” said Mrs. 
Bluson, whose dislike to that gentleman 
was as great as ever. 

None of them had any idea she would 
accept the proposition, but, as she did not 
reject it at once, Jerves began to hope she 
might accept. He was pleased to think of 
Mrs. Bates in his father’s old mansion. His 
father would have liked such a woman as 


252 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

she to be in it. As for her, she could not 
help seeing that here was a home and an 
assured support for three years ; and, 
though she would have preferred teaching, 
she knew that her chance of getting a 
teachers position was rather precarious, 
and that of getting a living by music- 
teaching still more so. She thought it all 
over while Jerves was speaking, debating 
whether there could be anything menial 
about such a situation, and deciding, as 
well she might, that, if there were, Jer- 
ves would not have offered it to her. She 
knew the man well enough to be certain of 
that. 

After a little silence, she whispered to 
her friend, Do 3^ou suppose I could have 
my baby with me ? ’’ 

The whisper was not so low but Jerves 
caught it, and answered, ^^Most assur- 
edly.” 

That was the first intimation she gave 
that she was considering the proposition 


A PBOPOSAL, 


253 


seriously, and it pleased him. He contin- 
ued : — 

I don’t think the position would be in 
the least difficult or disagreeable. The 
housekeeper’s principal duty would be to 
direct the indoor servants. The farmer 
would supply the vegetables, and the gar- 
dener the fruits, and the tradesmen the 
other requisites ; and my agent pays all 
the bills.” 

It is not a bad offer, Helen. Perhaps 
you had better think it over. It can’t be 
harder than school-teaching.” 

^^Mr. Jerves’s offer is too liberal. I 
don’t think I should be worth it. I could 
not get much more than that by teaching, 
and should have to pay all my expenses. 
It is too much.” 

Now, just listen to that, will you, Jer- 
ves ? What queer creatures women are ! 
Colorado offered a hundred times as much, 
and she didn’t think it was enough. 
There’s no consistency about them.” 


254 CBUJSE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Colorado, again ! ’’ ejaculated his wife. 

Captain, please not mention Mr. Dul- 
cifer any more. That little episode is 
over. It does not interest Mr. Jerves, and 
T am not proud of it myself.” 

In this she was mistaken, for Jerves did 
feel an interest in it. 

‘^Well, I won’t — perhaps. But you 
and Carrie had better go to bed, while Jer- 
ves and I have a smoke. Now, don’t sit 
up all night talking it over. You’ll have 
plenty of time. We are not at Hong Kong 
yet.” 

They were still talking it over when the 
pipes were smoked, and the men went be- 
low. They talked it over again the next 
day, and the next, and the next after that ; 
and, after all their consideration, they con- 
cluded that they shbuld all spend what 
might remain of the summer, after their 
return, at Bedbank; and that Mrs. Bates 
should continue there as housekeeper dur- 
ing Jerves’s absence. Jerves was pleased. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


FAREWELL TO THE AJAX. 

Hong Kong was reached a few days 
later. The crowds and the strange people 
and customs interested thfem, but it was 
not part of the captain’s plan to remain 
there. Two weeks sufficed to discharge 
the cargo, and transfer the Ajax to her 
new owners. Our friends bade her fare- 
well with regret. For four months she 
had made them a pleasant home. 

■ But the steamer for San Francisco was 
ready. Good-byes must be said, the family 
broken up, the friends separated. The 
parting could not be otherwise than sad, 
but it came, and was over. The captain 
and his party steamed away to the east, 
while Rollins and Jerves waved farewells 
from the dock. 

Jerves went to his room, and there fully 
265 


256 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

realized his loneliness. He was really, a 
lonely man. A home indeed he had, and a 
comfortable one, but he was more lonely in 
it than under the hospitable roof of his 
bankers in Hong Kong. He had no near 
relatives, and the distant ones, whose only 
interest in him was the hope that they 
might some day inherit his property, he 
scarcely knew. There was no one to care 
where he went, or what he did. There 
was no reason why he should be in 
China — or in any other place, except that 
no one cared for him anywhere. He had 
only a mild curiosity to see unknown coun- 
tries, and, since his friends of the Ajax 
were gone, even sight-seeing was dull. He 
had laid out a three years’ plan of travel, 
but somehow felt no ambition to com- 
mence it. For a moment he wished that 
he also was on board the Oceanic, eastward 
bound. 

He was glad he had provided a home 
and an income for Mrs. Bates, during his 


FAREWELL TO THE AJAX. 257 

absence. She would be comfortably sit- 
uated for three years at least, and after 
that he would find some other way to pro- 
vide for her. He wondered whether she 
would have married him, if he had asked 
her, and whether he could have made her 
happier than she would be otherwise. He 
went out and hunted up Rollins, who was 
looking for another ship, and, like himself, 
was just then rather lonely. Captain Blu- 
son had already found a berth for Bows as 
second mate on an American ship, bound 
for Java to load sugar for home. Her 
master was as temperate in his use of 
alcoholic drinks, as he was intemperate in 
his language concerning them, and Bows 
went out of port again sober. There did 
appear a prospect of making something 
out of Bows,’’ for to be second mate on 
two voyages, and to go out of his harbor 
sober three times in succession, gave him 
an idea of new possibilities. 

Jerves’s fit of blues passed off, under the 


258 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

influences of Rollins’s talk, and before 
their interview was over, he greatly aston- 
ished that gentleman, by asking him to 
join him in his three years’ tour. He 
would continue his mate’s wages, and pay 
all expenses of both. 

Rollins gave another of his whistles, but 
this time longer than usual. 

See here, do you know what that sort 
of a trip would cost you ? ” 

I can’t say I do.” 

Why, it would cost you twenty thou- 
sand dollars a year.” 

I suppose so.” 

Do you mean to say you want to put 
out twenty thousand dollars a year on that 
little lark ? ” 

I didn’t imagine it would cost less 
than that.” 

Well, if you are made up of shiners to 
that extent, and want my company, I don’t 
mind. Only I want the pay to go to that 
good mother of mine. I expect she’d 


FAREWELL TO THE AJAX. 259 

rather I’d come home once in a while, but 
then she would quite as lief I should be on 
land, as at sea, and perhaps I shouldn’t be 
away any longer either.” 

Jerves readily promised to arrange it, 
and they closed the bargain on the spot, 
though why a man with twenty thousand 
dollars a year, should want to spend it on 
shore, instead of keeping a yacht, was 
more than Rollins could understand. 

Jerves’ s grandfather had, many years 
before, owned a farm, on what had since 
become the site of a great manufacturing 
city. He sold out part of the water-power 
which was on it, and bought more land, 
and sold some of that again, little by 
little, as it increased in value. His only 
son, Jerves’s father, had done much the 
same thing, and had built stores and 
houses, until now the once barren and 
rocky farm was covered with buildings and 
busy streets. So his wealth grew, almost 
without any exertion of his own, and two 


260 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

or three unusually shrewd, or, as his neigh- 
bors said, lucky, investments, had so added 
to it, that, when his father died, Bernard 
Jerves found himself in possession of an 
income far beyond his wants. Inherited 
habits restrained him from wasteful ex- 
travagance, and, until now, he had never 
fully used his income. The amounts, 
therefore, that Mrs. Bates and Rollins con- 
sidered so large, were not greater than 
he could freely afford to expend. 

Redbank had been built by the father 
during his early married life, but his wife 
had not lived long to enjoy it, and of their 
three children two had died in infancy. 
Bernard Jerves himself had no recollection 
of his mother. He had lived, except when 
at school and college, generally alone with 
his father, and had little knowledge of 
women in the relations of home and 
family. Later, his two disappointments 
and his sicknesses had sobered and soured 
him. He was well bred, and well educated 


FAREWELL TO THE AJAX. 261 

enough to shine in society if he would take 
the trouble ; but society had no charm for 
him, and with his ideas about women was 
even distasteful. His life on the Ajax 
had proved the pleasantest he had known 
for several years. It was not strange that 
he should seek in the active habits, ex- 
uberant spirits, and lively conversation of 
Rollins an antidote for the depression he 
found coming over him, or that he should 
wish for companionship in his travels. 
Rollins was a sailor, but an educated, 
though self-educated, sailor, and he brought 
from the sea only enough of its salt to 
give freshness and vigor to the air. He 
bade fair to be an excellent companion for 
the quiet, steady-going Jerves. 

Captain Bluson and his family had a 
prosperous voyage to San Francisco. If 
they found the noise and jar and smell 
of the machinery less pleasant than the 
easy roll of the Ajax, they had the satis- 
faction of making rapid progress, and, once 


262 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

started, they were impatient to arrive. A 
few days’ rest in California, and then they 
were away to the East, until they found 
themselves once again in the noisy city 
they had left six months before. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


REDBANK. 

One bright, hot forenoon, Mrs. Bates, 
with little Helen and the two servants 
she had engaged, drove up the long hill 
that led to the mansion of Redbank. The 
first sight struck her with dismay, the 
house was so large, and with its closed 
doors and windows looked so gloomy. 
The farmer’s busy, bustling, garrulous 
wife, seeing the expected arrivals, hurried 
from her house near by with the keys, 
followed by three barefooted little girls 
in sunbonnets. Doors and windows were 
soon thrown open, the sunlight let in, and 
in ten minutes little Helen and the bare- 
foot girls were racing up and down the 
stairways, opening and peering into every 
closet and corner. Mrs. Bates followed 
263 


264 CRUISE OF A won AN HATER. 

more slowly. The great parlors, with 
their linen-covered furniture, their pict- 
ures and statues, the library, dining- 
room, billiard-room, and the numerous 
sleeping-rooms oppressed her, and made 
her feel, as she sank exhausted into a 
chair, just as the farmer s wife said she 
looked, as though she wished she hadn’t 
a-come.” The farmer’s wife, however, 
gave her very little time for indulging 
her feelings, but chattered on: There 

ain’t nothin’ to eat in the house, of course, 
but there’s a lot o’ groceries and things out 
there, and the man he’s a-comin’ to see 
if you want any more. I didn’t cook 
nothin’ for yer, ’cause I didn’t know jest 
when yer was a-comin’, but I can let yer 
have a couple o’ loaves o’ bread jest to 
start on, and I’ve got some nice mornin’s 
milk, an’ some cream, an’ a pat o’ butter 
— we sold most all our butter yesterday, 
but I’ll churn again to-morrow — an’ some 
eggs, an’ John he’ll be in from the hay- 


BEBBANK. 


265 


field pretty soon, an’ lie’ll bring yer some 
potatoes, an’ some peas, an’, maybe, some 
’sparrer-grass, or suntbing, an’ I know 
he’s got a nice quarter o’ lamb for yer. 
There’s a pan full o’ doughnuts in my 
pantry, and maybe your little one would 
like to run over with my girls, an’ get 
some — they’re right there on the shelf, 
they can help themselves — an’ I’ll bring 
you over some o’ my pies when I get ’em 
baked. We’ll get yer all fixed out in a 
day or two. Perhaps you’d like to see 
the kitchen ; most women thinks a good 
deal o’ their kitchen, an’ this is a pretty 
good kitchen, this one is, and plenty of 
things to do with.” 

Mrs. Bates’s brain whirled, but she fol- 
lowed to the kitchen. The cook had been 
before her, and, true to her instincts, had 
laid off her bonnet, pinned up her skirts, 
lighted a fire, and started a lively alterca- 
tion with her associate, the housemaid, as 
to which evenings they should have out, 


266 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

in the most natural manner possible. The 
farmer’s wife bethought her of her baking. 

Goodness me, my pies won’t never get 
baked this way, an’ them men’ll be cornin’ 
in hungrier ’n dogs. Seems as though 
they couldn’t never get enough to eat. 
Mr. Jerves wrote how you was to have 
the blue room and the two bedrooms ofE 
’n it, and I meant to have tidied ’em up a 
little, but, law me ! I ain’t had no chance. 
These hayin’ times, seems ’s though I didn’t 
do nothin’ but cook. I’ll send John right 
over soon ’s he comes in.” Soon after, 
‘^John” came over, in his shirt-sleeves, 
with a basket in his hand, and a bag 
over his shoulder, followed by one bare- 
foot girl with a pail, and another with 
a pitcher, and the third with little Helen, 
still nibbling doughnuts. ’ 

How d’ye do, ma’am ? Glad to see ye. 
Been a-lookin’ for ye; but didn’t know 
when ye’d come. I’ve brought ye some 
vegetables and things, an’ I’ll get some 


REDBANK. 


267 


more for ye. Putty busy ye see we are 
these good hayin’ days. Come along, 
gals.” 

He deposited his load on the floor and 
departed, but was hardly out of the door 
before another man appeared, who pre- 
sented his compliments in broad Scotch, 
and said he was the gardener, and had 
brought a bit strawberries ” and a wee 
han’fu’ o’ flowers,” and was glad to see 
somebody in the house, for it was ^^nae 
eencooragen” to try to keep things tidy, 
when there was naebody aboot to obseerve 
’em at a’, but the village folk an’ them.” 

She got rid of the Scotchman at last, 
and began unpacking, while the three little 
girls, who were back again by this time, sat 
on a broad sofa, with their six brown legs 
sticking straight out before them, watching 
her. The farmer came back to say that the 
man with the horses was come, and would 
she have him sleep in the stable or in the 
house ? He thought he had better sleep in 


268 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

the house, ^^seein there arn’t no other 
men, and women folks mostly likes to 
have some kind o’ men folks within call.” 

“What horses and what man do you 
mean ? ” 

“ Why, Mr. Jerves he wrote to me to 
buy a carriage-horse for the use o’ the 
house, and a pony for the little girl. I 
hope they’ll suit. I know he’s a good 
horse ; and they say the man I got knows 
his business. If he don’t, we’ll ship him 
off, and get another.” 

Mrs. Bates was glad when bed-time 
came. All this house, and garden, and 
stable — she was thankful she had nothing 
to do with the farm — were too much, and 
she was almost ready to cry as she thought 
of the magnitude of the task she had un- 
dertaken. 

Morning tranquillized her somewhat. 
Having lain awake nearly all night, she 
slept late, and, on rising, found a neat 
breakfast ready for her, the house cool and 


REDBANK. 


269 


quiet, and nobody about to annoy her. 
She saw the gardener at work on the lawn, 
and a man washing carriages at the stable, 
but none of them came to trouble her. 
She wrote a long letter to her friend Mrs. 
Bluson, and apparently might have re- 
mained undisturbed all day, if Helen had 
not discovered the pony. After that, there 
was no peace until a first lesson in riding 
had been given by the careful groom. 

^^The others a good saddle-beast, too. 
Shall I put a side-saddle on him for you, 
ma’am ? ” Mrs. Bates would not ride that 
day, but afterwards she and Helen took 
many a ride together. 

It was more than a week before she had 
got quite settled, and had succeeded in re- 
ducing the farmer’s daily supply of provi- 
sions below what would be needed for a 
week. 

Then the captain and his family came, 
and the horse and the pony had all the ex- 
ercise they wanted, and sometimes more. 


270 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

Neither gardener, cook, nor groom com- 
plained of not having enough to do, and 
the house was noisy enough, for the cap- 
tain, when quite off duty and let loose, was 
as boyish as Bobby himself. 

August and September came and went, 
and with September went the captain’s 
party. 

Gome again next summer.” 

Indeed we will — unless we come at 
New Year’s and stay till 'Christmas.” 

Mrs. Bates had enough to do, though 
she found the care of the establishment 
much less than she feared. The out-of- 
door men knew their business, and a daily 
walk through stables, gardens, and green- 
houses was all the attention they required 
from her. In-doors, after she had once or 
twice sat down on ” the cook, she had 
very little trouble. Every month she re- 
ceived a little packet of views and sketches 
from Jerves, all carefully marked and 
labelled, but no other news. She was not 


BEBBANK. 


271 

inclined to make many acquaintances, but, 
after Jerves’s local agent had visited her, 
and reported her to be not a ‘Miouse- 
keeper’’ at all, but a lady of education 
and refinement, and had sent his wife and 
married daughters to call on her, she had 
all the company she wanted. This gentle- 
man was a lawyer, a large, heavy man, a 
little round-shouldered, with shaggy eye- 
brows, and a fringe of white hair and 
beard that had once been sandy. He had 
been the local legal and business agent of 
the Jerves family all his professional life ; 
and it was a matter of great concern to 
him now in his old age what would become 
of their property when he should no longer 
be able to look after it. His greatest satis- 
faction in the marriage of the last of his 
daughters was that he thought her husband 
was sharp enough and honest enough to 
succeed him. 

He called often on Mrs. Bates for news 
of ‘^Bernard,” but, beyond the regular 


272 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

packages of views and sketches, she had 
none to give him, though, by means of these 
and various maps, they together followed 
him for a time in his wanderings. The old 
man expressed his disgust and impatience 
at Jerves’s long stay, very freely, empha- 
sizing his remarks by angry thumps of his 
ivory-headed cane. ^^Why don’t the fel- 
low come home? What on earth is he 
rambling round away out there for ? It is 
quite time he came home, and married, and 
settled down. I am out of patience with 
him. If a man has a home, he ought to 
stay in it.” 

Whereat Mrs. Bates suggested that 
Mr. Jerves was extremely fond of travel. 

What if he is ? He’s travelled enough. 
He might let somebody else do the rest. I 
am going to write to him to come home. 
I want to see him. He’d better come 
back, and attend to his own ai^airs. I am 
getting too old, anyway.” 

If the truth were known, the lawyer 


REDBANK. 


273 


was privately of the same opinion as Mrs. 
Bluson, that Jerves not only ought to be 
married, but that Mrs. Bates was the most 
suitable woman in all the world for him. 

One evening towards spring, he came in 
in great trouble. 

Jerves had written him that he was 
about going on a long and somewhat dan- 
gerous. expedition, and wished to make 
some alterations in his will. And I sup- 
pose I must tell you, Mrs. Bates, that they 
relate mostly to you, and that you need 
have no anxiety about your future, so far 
as money is concerned. Bernard wrote me 
to let you know that you need have no 
concern on that score. The ridiculous 
fellow ! I wish he’d come back. Con- 
found him ! No, I don’t mean that, but 
I want to see him. He’s sent home a 
great lot of tiger-skins, and all sorts of 
things, that nobody has any use for. I 
wish he’d bring his own skin back. What 
does a man like him want to make an 


274 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

exploring expedition of himself for ? ” and 
the old man punched a hole in the carpet 
in his excitement. Mrs. Bates’s eyes were 
full of tears. The old man noticed them, 
and, laying his large hand gently on her 
shoulder, said, I think he will come some 
day, dear, and I hope it loill be soon,” and 
he went away with tears in his own eyes 
also. But that was the last they heard of 
Bernard Jerves for many a month. 

Summer and winter, and summer again, 
came and went, and still no news of him 
— no letters, no more parcels of sketches. 
Curiosity deepened into anxiety, and anx- 
iety grew more anxious. 

Mrs. Bates’s cheek lost something of 
its bloom, the old man grew visibly older. 
These two now met every day, to know if, 
by any chance, the other had any news, 
though both knew that if one had any the 
other would have it very quickly. 

Jerves and Rollins stayed only a short 
time in Hong Kong. It was not a place 


REBBANK. 


275 


of much attraction. They visited Canton 
and Shanghai, and every accessible part of 
the great Chinese Empire, finding endless 
interest and adventure. Kollins was con- 
stantly getting them into scrapes, and as 
constantly getting them out. His energy 
and resources in both directions were inex- 
haustible. He learned to take great 
delight in Jerves’s camera, and he became 
the photographer, and Jerves the artist of 
their expeditions. From China they went 
to Japan, and explored that wonderful 
and interesting country well. 

Then they turned back again, and, not 
content with tourists’ routes, Singapore, 
Penang, Benares, Bombay, they followed 
every route in Northern India to its utmost 
limit, and beyond. Well armed and 
equipped, cool shots, hard riders, and in- 
clined to be reckless of danger, ready for 
any hunt or fray, they were welcome 
guests at many a lonely station,- where 
visitors of their kind were few. Rollins 


276 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATEE. 

proved a born geographer^ as well as ex- 
plorer. That a mountain seemed inacces- 
sible, was only an additional reason why he 
should take the altitude, the latitude, and 
the longitude, of its highest peak. 

They joined a British expedition to the 
borders of Thibet, and, returning from 
that, helped to make up a hunting party 
in Central India. 

It was of this long and eventful journey 
that no news reached their friends at 
home, simply because a steamer carrying 
the mails was lost at sea. All their views 
and sketches, and all their records of a 
year s adventures, went down in her. 

It was more than a year after the visit 
of the lawyer to Mrs. Bates, when he had 
first read her secret, a secret she was not 
ashamed and sometimes hardly sorry to 
have him know, that the steamer from 
Capetown for Madeira and Southampton 
numbered among its passengers two worn 
and haggard wretches, whom no one would 


REBBANK, 


277 


have recognized as the Jerves and Rollins 
of the Ajax, 

Wandering away among the Boers of 
South Africa, they had been severely 
wounded by savages, and Rollins had 
barely escaped with his life. It was 
months before they were able to be moved, 
and months again before the slow, painful, 
and toilsome conveyances of the country 
brought them once more to regions of civ- 
ilization. More dead than alive, they 
reached the steamer which an hour after- 
ward was under way. I’ll do what I can 
for them,” said the ship’s surgeon, but I 
doubt they ever see Madeira, let alone 
Southampton.” Perhaps the thought that 
they were homeward bound kept them up, 
for they did see Madeira, and Southampton 
also. There they caught a steamer for 
New York by almost as narrow a chance as 
they had had with the one from Capetown. 
Once on blue water, Rollins, whose life had 
so long been despaired of, improved rapidly ; 


278 CRUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

but Jerves, who, at Capetown, was the 
stronger of the two, rather grew weaker. 
His only wish now seemed to be that he 
might see Redbank once more. 

It was Christmas eve, and a furious 
storm was raging. Mrs. Bates was sitting 
before the fire, with an unopen but well- 
worn book in her lap. Her last little gift 
for Helen was finished, and she sat listen- 
ing to the howling of the wind, and think- 
ing of the Christmas on the Ajax, and 
wondering where the owner of Redbank 
might be this fearful night. Was he ex- 
posed to its fury, or was he now sleeping 
in the sea or in some unknown grave ? 

Absorbed in her thoughts she heard no 
sound ; but, feeling cold air from an 
opened door, she turned. The face she 
saw had scarcely more color than the snow 
that hung about it, but she knew it at 
once. 

^^Oh, Mr. Jerves! Mr. Jerves! Thank 
God ! Thank God ! ” 


BEVBANK, 


279 


^^ Yes, Mrs. Bates. I am at home at 
last. I thought I should never reach it. 
Let me sit down. I am weak.” 

She took off his wet wrappings, and set 
him by the fire. 

You are ill. You are very ill. Why 
did you not send for me ? I would have 
come to you.” 

Yes, Mrs. Bates. I have been very ill. 
I scarcely hoped to see Redbank or you 
again. But now — Helen, I have come 
home to die.” 

He held out his feeble hands to her. 
She took them in both her strong ones. 

She had realized long ago that all this 
tender, thoughtful care for her welfare and 
happiness was the care of one who loved 
her, and loved her well, though he might 
never say it. Now that he had called her 
Helen,” and held out his hands to her, 
there was no need of many words. 

After all this dreadful waiting, that 
you should come home like this ! But you 


280 CBUISE OF A WOMAN HATER. 

must not die ! You shall not die ! God is 
too good ! ” 

She rang the bell, and ordered a fire in 
the room that was always clean and ready 
for him, sent off the groom for a doctor, 
and a message, with the scribbled words. 
He has come ” to the lawyer. Then she 
had him put to bed, and sat with one of 
his hands in hers until he slept. Before he 
fell asleep, he said, Helen, I was afraid I 
could not make you happy.’’ 

‘‘I shall be happy now, when you are 
well again.” 

He did not die, and six weeks ago I 
christened their daughter. 


THE END. 


Helps t0 a Happy Sommer. 


I COURSE you will make a summer journey to some 

I lovely place far beyond the cities and their reek of 

smoke and dust; send your bonds to the safe-deposit vault ; 
double-bar the doors; get a boarding-place for the cat; and 
buy a round-trip ticket to Utopia. To find out where Utopia 
is, amid vast blue mountains, or by shore of sylvan lake, or 
alongside the resounding sea (according as your individual 
taste may elect), you should get one of Ticknor’s American 
' Guide-Books, which tell all about the summer resorts be- 
tween the Hudson River and Baffin’s Bay, with their prices 
and accommodations and attractions, and how to get to them, 
and, in general, their legends and poetry, and scenic charms. 
The railroad companies give away many thousands of small 
pamphlets about their routes, but these are not without sus- 
I pic ion of self-magnifying, and should be corrected by an 
\ unprejudiced, unsubsidized, accurate, and honest guide- 
book, whose cost, in comparison with the outlay on a sum- 
mer’s trip, is trivial, while its hints may be of frequent and 
great value. 

Ticknor’s Guide-Books are three in number, devoted 
to “ The White Mountains, '•'•New England , and “ The 
Maritime Provinces.^' One volume is for the peaks and 
cascades, lakes and ravines, of New Hampshire; one for the 
grand marine scenery and quaint cities of the Canadian 
seaboard; and one for the scenic beauties and romantic an- 
tiquities of New England. These books contain scores of 
maps; vivid descriptions of the scenery, history, and poetry 
of each locality; lists of hotels at each point, with their 


2 


HELPS TO A HAPPY SUMMER. 


prices and locations; accounts of routes of travel by sea and 
land ; choice quotations from hundreds of favorite authors, 
referring to special localities; and no end of other items, to 
minister to the comfort, satisfaction, and enlightenment of 
the traveller. The volumes are bound in flexible red cloth, 
and each contains from 400 to 500 pages. 

The Hew- York Tribune indorses these works in the fol- 
lowing unequivocal language : — 

“ The Ticknor Guide-Books are much the best -we ever had in this 
country, and they can challenge comparison with ‘ Baedeker’s,’ which 
are the best in Europe. 'J’he volume devoted to the White Mountains is 
full, precise, compact, sensible, and honest.” 

Be sure and carry with you a few good books wherewith 
to while away the tedium of rainy days or long evenings, or 
to drowsily read in the wind-swayed hammock, or on the 
shady side of a grassy bank. Odd hours, which might other- 
wise be possessed by gloomy ennui, may thus be converted 
into pleasant and fruitful experiences. But a wise and provi- 
dent traveller will not depend for his mental recreation upon 
the casual driftwood of printed trash to be found in Jaalam 
Centre or Way back, to tempt either intellectual dyspepsia, 
or nightmare, or pyaemia. He will select wdth care and good 
taste his little bundle of books from the treasures of the city 
bookstores, and depart in much joy to be the envied of his 
summer neighbors. Now it would be hard to find in *any col- 
lection a better and brighter group of novels than Ticknor’s 
Paper Series, whose tempting titles may be seen on the cover 
of this book. You can hardly find in any literature nobler 
or more entrancing novels than “ Guenn’^ or Nameless 
Nobleman.'*' “ The Story of Margaret Kent " was the most 
brilliant novel of last season. If you want to spend some 
part of that rural summer in dreaming of the vast prairies 
of Kansas, get Howe's “ The Story of a Country Town;" 
if you would be in fancy among the ecclesiastical palaces 


HELPS TO A HAPPY SUMMER. 


3 


of Rome, get Henderson’s “ The Prelate ” or Wendell’s 
“ The Duchess Emilia ; ” if the sea-beaten sands of Cape 
Cod attract you, get “J. Reverend Idol or among the 
Thousand Islands, be sure and read “ Geraldine.” 

Then there are the standard and recent novels of the 
great American story-writers, which you w'ill find delight 
ill reading now, amid the peaceful surroundings of summer 
rest : Howells’s works of the past seven years, those admi- 
rable pictures of our American life, — “ The Story of Silas 
Lapham,” “ The Ministei'^s Charge ” “ A Modern Instance ” 
etc. ; or take Julian Hawthorne’s “ Beatrix Randolph,” or 
“ Fortune's Fool;” or Edgar Fawcett’s “ The House at High 
Bridge ” or “ Confessions of Claud f or “ Tinkling Cym- 
bals ; ” or Robert Grant’s “ The Knave of Hearts” or 
^'•Romantic Young Lady,” or Frivolous Girl;” or one of 
Henry James's volumes of piquant short stories ; or one 
of Nora Perry's groups of dainty love stories; or Rose 
Terry Cooke’s inimitable dialect stories of New-England 
life. Then there is Bynner’s noble historical romance 
of colonial Marblehead, ’■'■Agnes Surriage;’’' and Barrett 
Wendell’s thrilling American novel, “ RankelVs Remains;” 
and that lovely Philadelphian romance, "Sons and Daughters,” 
by the author of "The Story of Margaret Kent;” and 
“ Happy Dodd,” Rose Terry Cooke’s tender and pathetic 
novel of New England. 

You of course intend to take out with you one good 
solid, mind-improving book, together with all these bright 
playtime stories, ■ — not too solid, for then it would n’t be 
opened, except to press flowers in; but at once instructive 
and entertaining, beneficial and attractive, so that you can 
remember it for years after as at once a pleasure and a 
profit, and treasure the book in your library as a precious 
possession. Now, foremost among such books we shall 
place the rich and delightful recent biographies, — that 


4 HELPS TO A HAPPY SUM^JER. 


of Nathaniel Hawthorne by his son, and that of Henry 
Wadsworth Longfellow by his brother (the latter just aug- 
mented by a volume of “ Final Memorials ”). In a similar 
vein are the two recent volumes of Whipple’s w'orks, with 
their entertaining reminiscences of Agassiz, Choate, Motley, 
Webster, etc. 

The reading of books of travel is a peculiarly agreeable 
and insidious way of conveying valuable information into 
the mind, while it fancies that it is only being amused. 
Within a year there have appeared three sumptuous and 
authoritative illustrated books on three very interesting for- 
eign countries : “ Persia and the Persians,'*^ by the Hon. 
S G. W. Benjamin, late United States Minister at Teheran; 

Japanese Homes,''’ by Prof. E. S. Morse, late of Tokio 
University, Japan; and “ Choson: The Land of the Morning 
Calm,” a vivid picture of Korea, by Percival Lowell, late 
Foreign Secretary of the Korean Embassy. If you visit 
the Yankee sea-coast you will enjoy Mrs. Austin’s “ Nantucket 
Scraps:” if in the northern wilderness, Hubbard’s “ Woods 
and Lakes of Maine;” if down in the Nova Scotia of 
Evangeline and Sam Slick, Miss Chase’s illustrated “ Over 
the Border.” Or you can take Maturin M. Ballou’s capital 
new book of Russian and Scandinavian travels, Due 
North,” or the curious and fascinating ^^Genius in Sunshine 
and Shadow,” of the same author. The new edition of 
Henry Bernard Carpenter’d “Liber Amoris,” a romaunt of 
the Middle Ages, will be a charming companion for all 
poetic and loving souls. 

Any of these books we will send you, post-paid, on re- 
ceipt of price, to any place where the United States mail 
goes. And we w’ill send you our Catalogue, free of cost. 


TICKNOR AND COMPANY. Boston. 


PERSIA AND THE PERSIANS. By Hox. S. G. W. Ben- 
jamin, late U. S. Minister to Persia. 8vo, with portrait and many 
illustrations, beautifully bound, gilt top. ^5.00 ; in half-calf, $g.oo. 

“ Mr. Benjamin’s book has been to us particularly fascinating. The superb 
illustrations which are scattered lavishly throughout the pages contribute much to 
making the journey a delightful one. It is quite impossible to overestimate the 
pleasure to be derived from the pages of this volume, and almost as difficult to 
indicate how important and valuable the work is.” — Capital^ Washington. 

JAPANESE.^ HOMES AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS. By 
Edward S. Morse, Ph.D., Director of the Peabody Academy of 
Science, late Professor of Tokio University, Japan, etc. With 300 
illustrations. 8vo. ^5.00 ; in half-calf, $g.oo. 

“ It is one of the most important of works ever written about one of the most 
fascinating of countries.” — Boston Herald. , 

CHOSbN: The Land of the Morning Calm. A Sketch of 
Korea. By Percival Lowell, late Foreign Secretary to the Korean 
Embassy, etc. Richly illustrated. 8vo. ^5.00 ; in half-calf, ^9.00. 

“ A great deal mote than a mere narrative of residence in Korea. It goes to 
the bottom of the whole question of the main characteristics of the three far- 
Eastern nations, China, Japan, and Korea, mixing philosophical views, new in- 
formation, personal recollections, and witty remarks in such fashion as to conciliate 
the tastes of all classes of readers. . . . Fortunately for the subject, it has been 
taken in hand by one who had the verve of youth allied with the curiosity of 
the scientist. These serve as torches that light up with a picturesque beauty the 
cavernous recesses of the Hermit Kingdom. . . . The extreme beauty of the 
illustrations.” — The yapan Gazette (Yokohama). 

DUE NORTH. By Maturin M. Ballou, author of “Due 
South,” “Edge-tools of Speech,” “Genius in Sunshine and Shadow.” 
Attractive accounts of Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Christiania ; chap- 
ters devoted to Bergen andTrondhjem ; the Loffodens and Maelstrom; 
the North Cape and Midnight Sun ; Lapland and Finland; St. Peters- 
burg and Moscow; the Nova and Volga; Nijni-Novgorod; Warsaw 
and Russian Poland, i^i.50. 

“ Bright and readable.” — Mass. Ploughman. 

“Charming, — an excellent book.” — B. P. Shillnber. 

“ An ideal writer of books of travel. ” — Boston Globe. 

“ Captivates the attention and interest.” — The Watchman. 

“ Of the finest and most extensive culture, Mr. Ballou is the ideal traveller.” 
— Boston Traveller. 

“ The charm and interest of the entire volume.” — Boston Transcript. 

TUSCAN CITIES. By W. D. Howells. 8vo. With many illus- 
trations by Joseph Pennell. Magnificently bound, with full gilt 
edges. In a neat box, ^5.00; in antique morocco or tree-calf, jiio.oo. 


Sold by booksellers. Sent, post-paid, on receipt of price, by the publishers, 

TICKNOR AND COMPANY, Boston 


TICKNOR & CO/S 

Forced Acquaintances. By 
iidith Robinson . . . . ^1.50 

The Devil’s Hat. By Mel- 
ville Philips 1.50 

Two Gentlemen of Boston 1.50 
Two College Girls. By 
Helen Dawes Brown . . 1.50 

A Muramasa Blade. By 
Louis Wertheimber . . . 3.00 

Agnes Surriage. By Edwin 
Lasset'er Bynner .... 1.50 

Sons and Daughters. By 

Henry Hayes 1.50 

The Story of Margaret 
Kent. By Henry Hayes . 1.50 

The Prelate. By Isaac Hen- 


derson 1.50 

Next Door. By Clara Louise 

Burnham 1.50 

Eustis. By R. A. Boit . . 1.50 

A Woman of Honor. By 
H. C. Bunner .... 1.25 

Aubert Dubayet. By Chas. 
Gayarr^ 2.00 


John Rantoul. By Henry 
Loomis Nelson .... 1.50 

A Reverend Idol .... 1.50 
Where the Battle was 
Fought. By Charles Eg- 
bert Craddock 1.50 

Miss Ludington’s Sister. 

By Edward Bellamy . . . 1.25 

Eleanor Maitland. By Clara 
Erskine Clement .... 1.25 

Her Washington Season. 

By Jeanie Gould Lincoln . 1.50 

His Two Wives. By Mary 

Clemmer 1.50 

Dr. Grimshawe’s Secret. By 
Nathaniel Hawthorne . . 1.50 

A Midsummer Madness. By 
Ellen Olney Kirk . , . 1.25 

HENRY JAMES’S 

Daisy Miller ^1.50 

The Siege of London . . . 1.50 
The Author of Beltraffio . . 1.50 

Tales of Three Cities . . . 1.50 

MADELEINE VINTON DAHLGREN’S 

A Washington Winter . . ^1.50 

The Lost Name i.oo 

Lights and Shadows of a Life 1.50 

BARREH WENDELL’S 

The Duchess Emilia . . . J^i.oo 

Rankell’s Remains .... 1.00 


CHOICE NOVELS. 
ROSE TERRY COOKE’S 


The Sphinx’s Children . .^1.50 

Somebody’s Neighbors . . i 50 

Happy Dodd 1.50 

NORA PERRY’S 

For a Woman ..... J^i.oo 
Book of Love Stories . . . i.oo 

Tragedy of the Unexpected . i.oo 

MR. HOWELLS’S novels. 

The Minister’s Charge . . ^1.50 

Indian Summer i 50 

The Rise of Silas Lapham . 1.50 

A Woman’s Reason . . . 1.50 

A Modern Instance . . . . 1.50 

Dr. Breen’s Practice . . . 1.50 

A Fearful Responsibility . . 1.50 

JULIAN HAWTHORNE’S 

Love — or a Naine .... ^1.50 

Fortune’s Fool 1.50 

Beatrix Randolph .... 1.50 

EDGAR FAWCEH’S 

The Confessions of Claud . JP1.50 
The House at High Bridge . 1.50 

Tinkling Cymbals . . . . 1.50 

Adventures of a Widow . . 1.50 

Social Silhouettes .... 1.50 

ROBERT GRANT’S 

A Romantic Young Lady . ^T.50 
Confessions of a F rivolous Girl 1.25 
An Average Man . . . . 1.50 

The Knave of Hearts ... i 25 

EDWARD KING’S 

The Golden Spike . . . . ^1.50 

The Gentle Savage .... 2.00 

E. W. HOWE’S 

A Moonlight Boy . . . . 50 

The Story of a Country Town 1.50 
The Mystery of the Locks . 1.50 

BLANCHE W. HOWARD’S 

Guenn ^1.50 

Aulnay Tower 1.50 

Aunt Serena 1.25 

MARY HALLOCK FOOTE’S 

J^hn Bodewin’s Testimony . ^i.^o 
The Led-Horse Claim . . . 1.25 

HENRY CREVILLE’S 

Count Xavier f i.oo 

Dosia’s Daughter .... 1.25 

Cleopatra 1.25 


See whai the critics say of 

FORCED ACQUAINTANCES. A Book for Girls. By Edith 
Robinson. $1.50. 

“Delightful and amusing, — a lively sense of humor throughout.” — Quebec 
Chronicle. 

“ Fresh, wholesome, uncommonly witty, and entertaining.” — Capital. 

“ Of a healthy influence, and of charming interest.” — Boston Home Journal. 

“ If Miss Robinson can keep on as well as she has begun, she has a brilliant 
literary future before her.” — Boston Courier. 

“ The book is a thoroughly healthy one, and can go on the shelf of a young 
girl’s library beside ‘ The Old-Fashioned Girl,’ ‘ Little Women,’ and ‘ The Daisy 
Chain.”’ — Boston Transcript. 

♦ ■ 

, A Romance of Colonial Massachusetts. 

AGNES SURRIAGE. By Edwin Lassetter Bynner, author 
of “Nimport,” “ Tritons,” “Damen’s Ghost,” etc. $1.50. 

“The best novel that has come out of Boston this generation.” — Kate 
Sanborn. 

“ Picturesque and dramatic, — a genuine historical romance.” — George Par~ 

. sons Lathrop. 

\ “ I have derived much enjoyment from Mr. Bynner’s book ; it has strength 

and manliness.” — Julian Hawthorne. 

“A romance passionate, picturesque, and dramatic, full of strength and 
originality.” — Portland Press. 

“ The blue waters of Massachusetts Bay sparkle through its pages, and the 
storm-winds are seen whistling across Marblehead harbor, in the quaint old days 
S of the Bay Colony. Bynner has in this romance begun a work for our lovely sea- 

i coast such as Sir Walter Scott did for the islands and glens of Scotland, covering 

i them with the rich and enduring glamour of poetic association.” 


I TWO GENTLEMEN OF BOSTON, i vol. i2mo. $1.50. 

George Parsons Lathrop says that the author of “ Two Gentlemen of Bos- 
ton ” has a ^eat deal of direct, impressive force, uncommon power of vivid 
( narration, graphic skill in depicting; and the book “reminds one of the self- 
? absorbed narration of Miss Burney’s ‘ Evelina,’ of Emily Bronte’s masterpiece, 
‘ Wuthering Heights,’ and of Jane Austen’s microscopically realistic accounts of 
daily life.” ^ 

For sale by all booksellers. Sent, post-paid, on receipt of the price, 
by the publishers, 

TICKNOR AND COMPANY, Boston. 


TWO NEW VOLUMES BY WHIPPLE. 


AMERICAN LITERATURE and other Papers. By Edwin 

Percy Whipple. With an Introduction by John Greenleaf 

Whittier, to whom the volume is dedicated, i vol. i2mo. 

Gilt top. ^1.50. 

This new volume of the great essayist’s works contains his famous Centennial 
articles on American Literature ; two articles on Emerson ; a brilliant monograph 
on Starr King; the now classic review of Daniel Webster’s Oratory; all written 
with that finished elegance of style and affluence of incident and anecdote for which 
Whipple was always famed. 

RECOLLECTIONS OF EMINENT MEN. 

Sumner, Choate, Agassiz, Motley, George Ticknor, Barry Cornwall, 
George Eliot, Matthew Arnold, Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

I vol. With portrait of Mr. Whipple, and Dr. Bartol’s Memorial 

Address. $1.50; in half-calf, $3.00. 

“ A positively fascinating piece of reading.” — Hartford Courant. 

” The incidents with which he crowds his pages make it flash with brilliancy 
and at the same time represent the man.” — Independent. 

“ A flashing eloquence of style and a delicate discrimination — most engaging 
and ably written.” — N. Y. Telegram. 

“ No English critic ever surpassed Mr. Whipple in the precision of his judg- 
ments, the entire calmness of his reasoning, the perfection of his pictures, and 
the luminous clearness of his style. His essays are not an introduction to litera- 
ture, but the very essence of literature itself” — The Beacon (Boston). 

— • 

New Edition Just Ready. 

LIBER AMORIS. A Metrical Romaunt of the Middle Ages. 

By Henry Bernard Carpenter. Gilt top and rough edges. 
$i7S- 

David Swing says of ” Liber Amoris : ” “ It is unique, nch, lofty, and beau- 
tiful. Great as is the empire of books, reaching from classic times to the present, 
and including all languages and races, and all the styles of thought and emotion, 
yet there is a place for this ‘ Liber Amoris,’ — - a place which no other work of art 
can fill.” 

“ The story is very beautiful, and it is beautifully told. ... A noble addition 
to our genuine poetry,” — Courier. 

“ A poem of lofty conception, of beautiful imagery, of a power seldom known 
in modem verse.” — Traveller. 

“ It is full of sweetness and light, and studded with rare gems of thought and 
expression. It is emphatically a great poem.” — Herald. 


Sold by booksellers. Sent, post-paid, on receipt of price, by the 
publishers, 

TICKNOR AND COMPANY, BOSTON. 


By the Author of THE STORY OF MARGARET KENT,” 


SONS AND DAUGHTERS. 


1 vol. 12mo. $1.50. 


“ The author’s style is as clear cut as an intaglio, and the story is worth a 
whole wilderness of that fiction which analyzes and dissects and converts life 
into a vast clinic.” — Philadelphia Record. 

There is no end to the list of good things, and to the pleasure coming of its 
knowledge of human nature, of its culture, art, and taste. Its portraiture, 
description, and dialogue, are exquisitely delightful.” — Boston Globe. 

** This novel will be found more attractive than any society novel which has 
been published for years. We have in mind in saying this both Mr. Howells 
and Mr. James. From the first chapter to the last the fascination of the story 
grows upon the reader, and one lays the book down with the feeling that here is 
a novel bright, intellectual, amusing.” — Providence Journal, 

“I think the studies of Forbes, Miriam, and Mrs. Reese, all three, exception- 
ally true and fine. It is a brave book, a story which searches out the by-ways 
of the heart, and is strongly and fearlessly told,” says Louise Chandler 
Moulton. 

Rebecca Hakdino Davis says : ” It certainly is the cleverest, most brilliant 
society novel, which I have read for many a year. Polly is incomparable.” 


For sale by all booksellers. Sent post-paid upon receipt of price. Catalogues 
of our books mailed free. 


TICKNOR & 



BOSTOIT. 


LI TEE ARY NOTE. 


“ Since the Traveller asserted its conviction that Mrs. Kirk, of Philadelphia 
fEllen W.Olney), is the author of ‘The Story of Margaret Kent,’ the electric 
success of last season in fiction, there is a strongly increasing interest in the new 
novel by the same author, ‘ Sons and Daughters,’ which is enjoying such a 
wonderful run this winter. From internal evidence it is believed that the two 
novels were written by Ellen Olney Kirk, the author also of the brilliant and 
fascinating novels, ‘A Lesson in Love’ and ‘A Midsummer Madness,’ which 
have all the graphic, picturesque, and dramatic traits of the first-named stories.” 
— Boston Traveller, 

Without vouching for the accuracy of the '•'Traveller's" surmise, the pub- 
lishers can confidently recommend these two books as delightful for summer 
reading. 



1 vol. 16mo. $1.00. In paper covers, 50 cents. 


A brilliant story of modern society in New York, with admirable character, 
painting. The complications arising out of the ancient endowments of St. 
Pentecost’s Church are followed through a paradise of love-making in dainty 
boudoirs and on the rocky New-England coast, while the ” Lesson ” is taught. 
” Fresh, piquant, and altogether enjoyable.” — Boston Courier. 

The Boston Traveller says : ” The charm of ‘A Lesson in Love ’ begins with 
the title and does not vanish for a moment to the turning of the last leaf.” 

The Alliance calls it ” The novel of the year.” 


A MIDSUMMER MADNESS. 


By ELLEN OLNEY KIRK. 16mo. $1.25. 


‘‘Mrs. Kirk’s novels (of which this is the latest) are widely known for their 
sparkling life.” — Graphic. 

‘‘ Its literary texture is sound and fine.” — NY. Com. Advertiser. 

*‘ A fascinating little story.” — The Dial. 

‘‘Cultured, bright, and witty.” — Globe. 

‘‘ A very idyl of midsummer.” — Boston Traveller. 

‘‘Indescribable charm and fascination.” — Graphic. 

‘‘Bright, versatile, and interesting.” — Buffalo Express. 

‘‘ Extremely bright and entertaining.” — Bost 07 % Courier. 

‘‘A fascinating story.” — The Continent. 

These books are for sale by all booksellers, or will be sent, post free^ on 
receipt of price, by 


TICKNOR 



BOSTON. 


UFOBM IN SIZE AND PRICE, WITH THIS VOLUME. 


meless Nobleman. 

•tford Courant says: “The 
reserved for us in it the odors 
ose of Provence and the May- 
;w England.” 

— 

Lesson in Love. 

(on Traveller says: “The 
Lesson in Love ’ begins with 
id does not vanish for a mo- 
turning of the last leaf.” 


The Georgians. 

idy of the working of human 
link this book very close upon 
s best effort. . . . The 
•rofound climax lingers in the 
le story of Hester Prynne.” 


Hy*s PerversHies. 

sing story of quiet New-Eng- 
It has the genuine flavor of 
- Woman' s Journal. 

Homoselle. 

I life under the old rigime. 

|i its other merits, the tale is a 
great sweetness and tender- 
\arper's Magazine. 

Oamen's Ghost. 

Paul Pioneer Press speaks 
*re it possible for any one to 
hly conversant with the works 
it novelists, and yet retain no 
■ names or events, he would 
tatingly that Chapter IV. was 
Dickens in his happiest vein.” 

isemary and Rue. 

iner is cultivated, delicate, and 
beautiful. It is full of tender- 
.weetness; it is fragrant with 
id marital virtues ; it is more 
rel; it is a novelty.”— 


Madame Lucas. 

“ A very charming bit of work from an 
author of much cultivation.” — Criiie. 

• 

A Tallahassee Girl. 

“Among the very best of recent Amer- 
ican stories, and very far ahead of any of 
the many novels of Southern life. Above 
all, the ^ok is pervaded with the balmy 
air and sunshine and the rich landscape 
color of Florida.” — Phila. Times. 


Dorothea. 

“Brightness and cleverness.” — !.//<?>'• 
ary World. 

The Desmond Hundred. ' 

“The strongest American novel in 
many a year.” — The Churchman. 

♦ — 

Leone. 

“ A story of Italian life written by an 
Italian, and shows an impressive fidelity 
to time and place.” — Boston Traveller. 

Doctor Ben. 

“ The story as a whole is a singularly 
fascinating one.” — The Standard. 

RachePs Share of the Road. 

“ A bright, fresh, capital story, grace- 
fully and artistically written.” — 
ing Star. ^ 

Fanchette. 

“ An extremely well written and inter- 
esting work — quite above the average, 
and deservedly to be recommended.” 

His Second Campaign. 

“ The atmosphere of the book is pure- 
ly and truly Southern, so that the read- 
er feels some of the fascination which 
Southern people lay so much stress 
upon.” — New York Star. 


TKKSOR AND COMPANY, BOSTON. 


TiCKnoR's Paper Series 

For the Summer of 1887» 


A series of handsome and attractive books 
for leisnre-honr and summer-day reading, made 
up of some of the choicest and most success- 
ful novels of late years, with several entirely 
new novels by well-known and popular writers 

The following are the titles of the first numbers: — 

i> The Story of Margaret Kent. By Henry Hayes 
2. Cuenn. By Blanche W. Howard, author of “ On 
Summer.” 


12 . 

13 - 


The Cruise of a Woman Mater, By G. D| 

Montauban. 

A Reverend Idol. A Massachusetts-Coast romanc 
A Nameless Nobleman. By Jane G. Austin. 
The Prelate. A Roman Story. By Isaac Hei 

DERSON. 

Eleanor Maitland. By Clara Erskine Clemen^ 
The House of the Musician. By Virginia V 
Johnson, author of “Neptune’s Vase,” etc. ^ 
^dlne. A metrical romance of the St. Lawrenj 
nuchess Emilia. By Barrett Wendeli 
>f Three Cities, By Henry James. 
louse at High Bridge. By Edgar FAwcEi^i 
The Story of a Country Town. By E. W. Howt' 

Price per volume, FIFTY CENTS. Stib 
scfiptim price, postage-paid, 

quarter. Subscriptions reccw^ 
by the Publishers, 


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